


Remnants

by ClockworkWasteland



Series: Redemption [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Undertale Redemption, Amalgamates, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 21:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 30,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14777546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkWasteland/pseuds/ClockworkWasteland
Summary: The world has ended... With the core detonation everything is in ruins including the monsters and humans that survived.





	1. LOVE

**Author's Note:**

> Ok people, first off i have to warn you this part WILL be dark. Remnants is not a happy story. There will be floof, there will be joy but over all this will be dark. Chapters will be tagged if I feel they contain triggering content for people because some serious shit is going down.
> 
> There is hope. There is love. There will be feels of both good and bad. 
> 
> If you are triggered by things such as mentions of suicidal thought, self abuse, gore and perhaps other things then you may not wish to read this part.
> 
> This will have a happy ending. I've decided on that completely. But just because an ending is happy does not mean it will be perfect. There WILL be death. there WILL be drug/alcohol use and there WILL be strong language, mental illness, and PTSD episodes and probably a lot of other things.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this first chapter of the final part in the Redemption story: Remnants.
> 
> _______________________________________

Pain… or was he in pain? Yes..? No…? He was screaming and silent, thrashing and still… The world had ended…

Sans hand immediately clutched his eye socket and he sat up screaming at the severe pain, jerking away his hand. He looked around wildly before he grasped his chest. His soul pulsed rapidly and he gasped for air. It was like emerging from an icy sea and he struggled to comprehend where he was and what was happening.

Darkness… No? No! He was in the- oh my god! … No…

The light of the sun shined down on him from the surface, now clearly visible for the huge crater that now remained of Mt. Ebott. Fear made him choke and to his surprise he lurched and rolled over just in time before he vomited. What?!

A red and sticky sludge seeped through his teeth and his head swam. That had never happened before! He felt as if he would vomit again but he was able to fight it down and put a hand over his eye, gingerly feeling the edges. Horror chilled his bones as he felt the jagged edge of the busted socket. What was happening? Why was he here, what was?- the core! He cried out as realization struck him s partial memories came flooding back. The core had exploded! Everything was… was this real…? No… Yes?

His vision faded to black for a moment but he shook his head to clear it and tried to think. His mind raced but nothing in his thoughts made sense. He felt a wetness on his cheek and brushed it away with his hand before looking at the blood red liquid. Blood? No… Not blood. Tears? Red tears? His mind was a haze as he struggled to think of what was happening to him. Feeling the residue of his earlier illness on his mouth he wiped it away with the singed and tattered sleeve of his jacket. What!? What were those?!

He slowly ran his fingers over his mouth and felt his teeth. They were sharp. He wondered why before he caught sight of his fingers themselves. Their ends had become sharpened into deadly looking points. Nothing made sense! What was happening to him?! What had happened to him…?

Darkness again-no… No he was still awake. No darkness… He tried to remember what had happened. The core had gone up, that much was obvious but… Why hadn't they stopped it. Surely they could have stopped Alphys And- oh god… Alphys…. Alphys… Her name, her face, they swarmed his mind, flashed of what had occurred. He wretched and covered his mouth as he rocked back and forth on his knees with his other hand clutched to his chest.

"I'm sorry Sans…" her last words to him before her body had dusted… Dusted from his attack! H-he killed her! He killed her!!!

He let out an agonized screech as his mind rushed through the memories, not only of what had happened at the lab but of Alphys, of his every moment with her. His friend, Alphys. He MURDERED her!!

His teeth, his hands His… With trembling hands he carefully reached up into his ribs and pulled from it a glowing upside down heart… his soul…

The heart was crisscrossed with dark, vein-like markings. It was the mark of a monster with a Level Of ViolencE… A murderer… He let the soul float out of his shaking hands and return to his ribcage and wept into his hands, the tears stinging as they seeped into the cracks of his busted eye.

Everything was gone… He looked up and surveyed his surroundings through teary eyes. Around him lay the remains of the lab. A melted and broken rubble. Here and there were chunks of wreckage and charred earth that shined with an eerie iridescence cause by the magic that had blasted it. He got up and winced at a dull pain in his ankle. looking down he couldn't see anything broken but-wait! He saw a piece of metal where he had been kneeling before and beside it was…

He knelt back down and his fingers moved towards the piece of his shattered socket. He gasped as it turned to dust at his touch. D-dust? Would he dust? Oh god, his one HP!! He began to panic and hyperventilate as he expected his body to begin to break down but after a few moment with nothing happening he remembered… His HP would have increased with his Level Of ViolencE. HP to monsters was their life force. It stood for Heart's Power. Whether a monster had good or bad in their soul didn't matter, it was their power that supported them. He shuddered, wondering how much he had gained when he…

What would Papyrus think of him now…? Papyrus! Oh my god, no!! He got up and frantically looked around. No! No!! He couldn't be the only one alive. His brother, his father, they had to be alive!! He whined as he took off, looking over everything before- … What… were they…?

Before him lay countless skeletons. These weren’t of his own kinds, no.. Monsters? No… monsters turned to dust when they- Humans! But… no. They… the were wrong! Bones melded together in corrupted ways. Skulls with split and malformed faces and half formed snouts, their jaws missing or agape as they rested atop or near their skeletons which were contorted and half transformed into… what… what were they? They were dead. Dead… Like Alphys…

He sunk to his knees, hopelessness and nausea gripped him as he wished he could just awaken from this nightmare. He squeezed his eyes shut, the light still coming through his busted socket and tried to force himself to wake up from what could only be a dream. This hell wasn't real! It wasn't real! It… I wasn't… He sobbed as he gave into the reality that this was no dream.

He opened his eyes and averted his gaze away from the horrible sight. Then another thing caught his eye. There was a piece of red fabric caught on a beam and swaying lightly in the breeze. His soul felt like it had been stabbed with an icy dagger as he scrambled over and gathered the shred of his brother's signature scarf in his hands. Papyrus couldn't be dead… He just couldn't… No, no this had to be just some random fabric. He tried to convince himself of that but he knew this was from his little brother's scarf.

He bellowed in emotional pain and thought left him as he cried out, his agonized wails echoing around him. His fit caused him to fall to the ground as tears fell freely, the red droplets slashing to the ground beside….

There was darkness… then there was hell. His vision had flashed into nothing again before he reached over and gently grasped the shattered remains of a lower arm. The hand still sported a glove he knew had… did… belong to.

"P-papyrus…" 

Darkness… and this time where was nothing more.


	2. Remnants 2: Hope

"I-I'm alright!" Papyrus insisted to Gaster who was examining the remaining stub of his upper arm where the bone had been shattered as the force of the blast has ripped Sans from his grasp. "We have to find Sans!" tears streaked down his face as he looked into his father's eyes. They were both injured. He was missing his arm and had several shattered ribs and Gaster's face sported a new crack and he had walked with a limp as he and Papyrus had managed to dig their way out of the wreckage and onto a heavily damaged platform that had once belonged to the core.

"I know, my son. I want nothing more than to do so… But I have you. I won't lose you too."

"Too?! He's not dead, Gaster! Why would you even imply that!?" he snapped.

"I…" Gaster bowed his head. "My son… You saw what he had become. That accompanied by the explosion of the core may have been too much for him. Please, do not be angry with me… But please also prepare yourself… We might not find him."

"He's alive…" Papyrus whimpered. "He has to be."

A horrible sound split the air. It sounded like an animal in agonizing pain. They looked at each other, worried. The wails continued and Papyrus wondered what kind of poor pained creature could be making such a sound. Could it be one of the Not-human-anymore-humans that had survived? He shuddered. They had seen the skeletal remains of those poor humans… Gaster has explained that it was possible for the magic of the core to have altered them, infusing them with enough magic to make them more magic than physical matter… To make them monsters.

But Monsters cannot handle human determination. Frisk and Tonnis were the exception thanks to Gaster but the other humans hadn't been so lucky… The transformation had killed them yet since they were not yet fully monster they hadn't become dust. He tried to block out the sights of those poor creatures, some still clutching their equally corrupted families… the warped and melted bones of children in adult's arms reflecting their final moments of terror. He sobbed and wished he could forget. In the distance the pained creature wailed again and he got up.

"We have to find, Sans…" he looked back at Gaster how bowed his head but nodded before they set off into the wasteland. "I want to see what's making that noise." he said as the terrible cries became a truly sorrowful sound.

"I do not think we should do that…" Gaster's face was emotionless, as if he were trying to block out everything and remain sensible. Papyrus remembered his uncanny ability to do so from his childhood.

"What if it needs our help? What if it saw Sans?" He pleaded, "Let's go to it!"

Gaster opened his mouth to speak when the wail came again but this time it wasn't just a cry, it was a name, Papyrus.

"Sans!" Cried Papyrus, "It's Sans! Hurry, Gaster!" he took off at full speed towards his brother's call. "Sans!" he called out, "Sans, I'm here!!"

The cried died down but no response came. Dread gripped Papyrus as his eye light up with his magic as he used it to run all the faster towards where he could finally sense his brothers weakened soul. He knew Sans was alive! His soul wanted to burst with joy. Sans was alive! But was he okay?!

He skidded to a stop with a gasp and Gaster teleported to his side. They both saw the broken little skeleton, his clothes in tatters and his eye socket shattered but alive…. Right?

"…Sans…?"

They approached Sans' still form and Gaster knelt down to brush aside the ruined jacket to reveal, to their relief, a healthy soul.

"He's alive…" Tears ran down his face as Papyrus fell to his knees beside his brother and gently dragged him into his arm to hold them close. "Sans? Can you hear me…?" he gently shook the little skeleton but he did not awaken.

"Look." Gaster pointed to Papyrus' missing arm as it began to crumble into dust. "He must have found that and assumed the worst." he put his hand on Sans' head and a green glow formed around them. The abrasions and cracks along various injuries began to form on the small body and the light faded as Gaster withdrew his magic but-

"What about his eye?" Asked Papyrus mournfully. "C-can you heal it?"

Gaster shook his head and replied in a voice heavy with sorrow, "No… Much like your arm it was broken off by the core debris. Those injuries cannot be healed."

"It he alright?" The question filled with a need to be answered with a yes.

Gaster was thoughtful a moment then sighed, "It is possible that your brother may have… Handicaps, brought about by his increased LV and the explosion… I cannot say if he will be mentally sound when he awakens."

"B-but he's going to wake up, right?"

Gaster nodded, "Yes, my son. He will live… But I do not know if we will be able to help him if… if the damage to his mind is too drastic. Your arm is one matter but this, "He gently ran a hand over Sans' ruined eye. "That eye is where he channels his magic. Coming in contact with a piece of the core may have… Affected him negatively."

"You're saying he could be… insane?" Papyrus held Sans closer, tears dripping onto his brother's face.

"It is a possibility. I am sorry…" Gaster buried his face in his hands but through their holes Papyrus could see he was finally weeping as well. "This is all my fault…"

"We did everything we could, Gaster…" Papyrus looked back down at his sleeping brother and hoped with all his soul that when he awakened he would still be himself. Sans didn't deserve this… There was nothing he could do and his soul ached as he felt himself begin to shake in sorrow.

"Come." Gaster put a hand on his shoulder and Papyrus stood up before holding Sans out into Gasters outstretched arms. "We should find shelter and then look for the others."

"Frisk was missing." Papyrus said shakily. "Where could she have gone? Tonnis..? Where could they be, Gaster?"

"I sensed the children with the queen before the core detonated. If it is still standing then they will be there… But, Papyrus… Undyne and Mettaton went after Alphys and never returned." He looked over sadly as they walked, ignoring the remains of the distorted humans all around them the best they could.

Dread clutched Papyrus and he almost fell when the memory hit him. "The egg! Undyne's and Alphys' baby! U-undyne had it with her to try to stop A-Alphys…"

With a grim look Gaster shook his head. "The chances of it having survived are well but…"

"Then we will find them all, the egg too!" declared Papyrus adamantly. He held up his fist with a determined look, "They're alive and waiting for us! … They have to be…"

Gaster nodded, "I hope you are right, My son…"


	3. Remnants 3: Beware the survivors

'Frisk, are you there?' Chara's voice reached her and Frisk opened her eyes to see a dim light streaming from a crack above her. 'Frisk, you have to get up… They're looking for you.'

"C-Chara?" she coughed, "W-what happened?" sitting up with a groan she realized she was under the ruins of part of the school. The rubble had fallen around her and she was trapped under who knew how many layers of debris. 

'The core detonated.' replied Chara sadly. 'I can sense Mom and dad and Asriel… there are others, maybe Sans and Papyrus. But…'

"What about Alphys! If they didn't stop her then she's still out there under that soul's-",she began to shift the rubble carefully to dig herself out, 

'Alphys is dead, Frisk.' Chara's words sent a chill through her marrow.

"D-dead?" she felt tears prick her sockets but she continued moving her way through the wreckage towards the light. "What happened, Chara? Could you see?"

'My view is limited… but I can't sense her. She's gone, Frisk…'

"What about the others?" She sniffled, "What about Tonnis?! Oh my god, he's part human! What if he- wait, my soul… How did I survive? Did the humans survive?"

'No' She felt Chara's sadness, 'There are no more humans. Gaster is the reason you survived, Frisk. When something or someone enters the void it becomes infused with something. Something that shields it from death. I don't know how but-'

"-then what about Tonnis?!" she managed to shift a chunk of bricks with her magic and the surrounding rubble partially collapsed away to bath her in bright sunlight.

She gasped and shielded her eyes from the light for a moment while they adjusted before looking around her in horror. "Oh my god…"

The school was in ruins. She had been encased in the broken corner of the cafeteria which was now rubble and twisted metal. The place shined with an otherworldly iridescence. She shuddered at the sight. So this had really happened… Chara was right.

She carefully got out of the rubble and climbed down from the small hill of brick and trash before stumbling, startled by a familiar voice near by and the sudden impact of a small, fluffy body clinging to her waist.

"Frisk! I'm so happy you're alive!" Asriel looked up at her with stars of joy in his eyes, "Mom! Dad! She's over here!"

"A-Asriel?" the small goat child had a piece of cloth tied around his waist but other than that was nude. Patches of dirt marred his white fur.

"Frisk! Oh my god, my child!" 

Toriel ran over from where her and Asgore had approached from what Frisk could see now was no pile of rubble but a gathering or people. Frisk threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing.

"My child, I was so afraid I had lost you!" Tears ran down Toriel's face as she nuzzled her skull.

"Mom, I'm so scared!" cried Frisk, "Did everyone make it? C-Chara said all the humans were-"

"Do not look beyond the school ruins, my child. I do not want you to see them yet."

"The humans all died…" sniffled Asriel.

"As, how… How did you get your body back?" She pulled away from Toriel to bend down and him up, nuzzling him as she cradled the soft child in her arms.

"I'm not sure." he replied snuggling into her. "When I woke up I was me again!"

"Frisk, it is good to see you well!" Came Asgore's baritone voice as he joined them. He smiled as tears streamed down into his main. "We are all safe. Every monster that was here survived." he indicated the group not far away who were beginning to stand and make their way over. "But the humans… I am a afraid they… did not make it."

"What happened to them?" she asked as dread clutched her soul in an icy grip.

"I do not want you to see them yet, my child…" Toriel looked over at Asgore then bowed her head. "It seems as if they were all… changed. It is not a sight I want in your mind until you have had time to recover."

"Where's Tonnis?"

Asriel's sob made her look down at his tear filled eyes.

"Tonnis didn't make it either…" he looked over to a small pile nearby where lay a skeleton. around it's neck was Tonnis' pendant, unmarked despite it's owner's fate.

"Oh my god… Tonnis…" Frisk carefully put Asriel down and made her way over to the skeleton, dropping to her knees as tears ran down her face. Tonnis was gone…

"He found him there while we were looking for you." Said Asgore, "I am so sorry for the loss of your human friend, Frisk."

"But, he wasn't human!" she cried, "Dad said so! H-he had a monster soul s-so he should have been okay!" she shakily reached out and cupped her hand on his cheek. He didn't deserve to die… None of them did.

There was silence save for the low voices of the monsters nearby as Frisk bowed her head and wept for her fallen friend. This was a nightmare… how could this- wait! Did he… move? She gasped and looked on breathlessly as his skull leaned into her touch and slowly a pair of dim lights appeared in his eye sockets. Disbelief and joy filled her, "T-Tonnis?" she breathed stroking his cheek with her thumb, "Are you o-okay?"

the lights brightened and his face moved just like her brother' as he closed his 'eyes' tightly and groaned. "F…Frisk?" he managed as he opened an eye a crack and looked up at her, "D-did we make it?" his voice was barely a whisper as he held up a hand to touch her cheek. "Oh…" the lights of his eyes came to rest on his skeletal arm, "That's…Mine, huh?" He smiled but sadly, "Am I dead?"

She shook her head and pulled him into her lap, holding him close to her, "No. Thank god, no." she sobbed, "Tonnis…"

"h..heh… yay for living…" he managed softly. "Frisk…? Did everyone make it? I… I tried to protect you… but I hit the wall and… passed out." he looked around without moving his head, he seemed very weak as she held him.

"Guess… Guess things went boom, huh? I… I'm s-so…S-sorry, Frisk…" tears appeared in his eyes as she held him close, shushing him softly, "N-no… This is m.. M-my fault… M-my people d… did this…" he fell limp and Frisk looked to see the lights fade from his eyes as he passed out.

"He's alive…" sobbed Frisk as she looked up at the king and queen, "Mom… Asgore… What happens now? What do we do..? I-I have to find my brothers!" gently laid Tonnis back down and got up ready to take off, "They were in the underground! I have to go-"

"No, Frisk!" Toriel cried, "No…"

Frisk stopped and looked between the two goat monsters. It was Asgore who spoke as Toriel tried to contain herself.

"The underground is gone, Frisk… Mt. Ebott is no more, look." He pointed and for the first time Frisk laid eyes on the crater and gasped.

"No… No!!!" she took of before either could stop her. No, they were alive! Chara had said so! They were alive.

'They live, Frisk. But be careful! There may not be any more humans but there creatures!'

"Friiiisk~" she hears Asriel call after her and with tears she called back, "I have to find them. Keep Tonnis safe, I promise I'll come back!"

She heard Toriel call her name but she kept running.

"Chara, what's out here what creatu-" she almost fell forward as her soul froze in her chest and she avoided falling onto…

'Don't look at them, Frisk. They're gone!'

"That's what you meant…" she whispered as she looked over the countless remains of the half changed humans. "Then… That's why Tonnis…"

'The explosion changed them, Frisk. Determination killed them… Don't look at them. There's nothing you can do but we have to find your brothers before one of them does!'

"Them…?"

'Not all of those things died…' Chara sounded ill, 'the ones that lived are.. L-look out!!'

A large shadow fell over her as something leapt out of a heap of trash and rubble. The thing landed before her with a sickening squelch . Before her stood a horrific creature, Skeletal forms covered in flesh colored sludge pulsated as many eyes darted independently of each other and contorted faces loomed over her with pained and maniacal and agonized expressions as their muffles moans made her marrow run cold. Horns, claws and… parts hung from the beast as it looked down at her, it's form wobbled like gelatin and iridescent veins pulsed over it's vile skin. She had only seen something like this once before… When they were moving from the underground they had found them.. but this one was different. Despite that difference she was sure it was, 

"An amalgamate…" she whispered, horrified before leaping out of the way as it swung at her with a malformed arm and let out a guttural roar that echoed over the wasteland.


	4. Remnants 4: Drarey

"LiKe, LoOk OuT!" a distorted, dual voice echoed from behind Frisk as she dodged the Amalgamate's next assault. She gasped and dodged again as another form shot out from behind her and slammed into the Amalgamate. It was another one!

The two Amalgamates stood off and she looked over the new one in horror as she saw it. It's main form resembled a twisted and scaly dragon with bits of what looked like Royal Guard armor melted into it's skin forming claws and armor plating. It growled with dual tones and the other Amalgamate roared again before they collided.

'Run!' cried Chara and Frisk took the opportunity to flee towards the crater. the sounds of the battle behind them made her shiver but she kept on, jumping over rubble and fissures and being wary of any shadow that caught her eye, ready to dodge any other horrible creature lurking in the dark.

'I can sense them!' Chara cried happily as they neared the crater. Her eyes burned with magic as she willed herself to go faster before suddenly she collided with a small body and both of them tumbled down a hill of debris. She cried out in pain and couldn't identify the other being until they came to a crashing stop at the bottom of a pit. Her vision swam before a shadow fell over her eyes and she saw red eyes.

"… Hey, kiddo…"

Her vision focused and she looked over her brother's face. Fearful eyes, one broken looked her over as she sat up. his sharp toothed grin twiched. as he sat beside her. She could see in his eyes this was not the same Sans… She could sense his soul but something about him felt… wrong.

"Sans?" she breathed and held out her hand which he took without a word. "Oh my god, Sans…"

"Frisk?" He looked back at her, his stare not focused completely on her, it was as is he were viewing her from far away. She guessed it was what people referred to as a 'thousand yard stare'

she looked him over, his clothes were tattered and barely hung on his skeletal frame and his hands trembled as if in fear but he seemed calm.

"I found you." he said softly. His voice was very quiet as if he were afraid of raising it. "That's real… right?" he tilted his head and held her hand up to his face. "Yeah, you're real…"

Before Frisk could react he leapt on top of her chest and pinned her down with a hug like a vice grip. She could feel him trembling and whining, a soft and pitiful noise. She could tell something was very wrong with her older brother as she hugged him tightly. "Yeah, Sans. I'm real." She held him, just letting the joy of finding him, of this one happy moment fill her. She closed her eyes and sighed, he was alive. His soft whisper made her look down. "What did you say?"

"No… no…" he repeated the word like a chant before his eyes blazed red and he teleported off of her and appeared in mid air, falling with a clatter before curling up.

"Sans!" she rushed over to him, "Sans, what's wrong?!"

"No…" he whispered, "I-if your real then this is real. If this is real then your alive and that's good-no-bad! Good? Bad? No. No!!" he jerked as she held him to her, "if your real and th-this is real then I-I I. I…." he looked like he was going into a panic attack when suddenly he stiffened in her arms and snapped his head to look up out of the pit, "H-Hi Pap…" he whispered before he teleported again and she heard an "oof!" from above.

"Sans! Don't you ever do that again! Stay with us, you can't go off on your own like you are!" Papyrus scolded. "What if something had happened to you, what the hell were you thinking!?"

"Frisk." he replied softly.

"Yes, Sans, We all want to find Frisk but running off and getting yourself hurt is-!"

"Found her."

"W-what?" Frisk saw Papyrus' head as he looked down in the pit. "Frisk! Oh thank god! G-Gaster! Sans found her, it's Frisk!" he looked back at her, "How on earth did you end up here?" " Are you Al-Sans, no!"

Sans had teleported back down to Frisk and grabbed her arm before teleporting back up to his brother. "I found her." he whispered, "She's real."

Frisk gasped as it took her a moment to grasp what just happened and she felt Sans cling to her again and they both fell over.

"Sans! Come now, it's okay." Papyrus knelt down put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure Frisk isn't going to disappear, Sans… I can see her too." He sighed sadly.

"Papyrus, what's wrong with him?" asked Frisk as she looked up at him.

"His mind was damaged." Gaster answered as he walked over.

"Damaged?" Frisk repeated, "Dad! You're all okay… but, what do you mean?" Sans got off of her and clung to Papyrus who picked him up like a child.

"It's okay, Sans." Papyrus pet his brothers skull as the other sobbed into him mumbling incoherently. "Everything is getting better. It's okay."

"He's insane…" Frisk sobbed as the realization struck her, "What happened to him, Dad? Why does he look like that?!"

"Murder." Sans looked over at her blankly, suddenly very stiff before he shuddered and buried his face back into Papyrus' shirt. "Murderrr." it was almost a purr before he sobbed again.

"Sans… Attacked Alphys in defense of Papyrus." Said Gaster over Sans' renewed babbling. "She was killed and this is the result…

"Sans…" Frisk wanted to cradle her broken brother and take away his pain, to fix him. He didn't deserve this!"

"Are the king and Queen alive?" Asked Gaster. "I sensed you were with them last."

She nodded, not looking away from Sans who was now staring blankly behind Papyrus at apparently nothing. "All the monsters are fine. Tonnis is fine too but… Dad, what did the core do to everyone? The humans, they're-"

"Dead, yes." said Gaster.

She shook her head, "N-not all of them. But… Oh god… Dad, they're amalgamates!"

All three other skeletons looked at her in shock. It was Gaster that spoke, "Did you find one?"

"It tried to kill me. she sniffled, "But another one helped me get away."

"This is very serious… Such creatures are surely insane…" he looked thoughtful, "We should go to the others befor-"

"ArE yOu DuDeS oKaY?" a distorted and dual toned voice echoed from nearby and they all turned to see the Amalgamate from earlier shuffling towards them.

"Oh god! It's horrible!" Papyrus held Sans close, his eye lighting up as he took a defensive pose. It was then Frisk saw that his arm was missing.

"Away with you, Amalgamate!" Gaster hissed. "You will not harm my family!"

"LiKe, ChIlL!" it responded as it edged closer. "We'Re JuSt TrYiNg To HeLp!"

Frisk squinted as she looked the creature over. it was made of two bodies twisted and contorted into each other, From what she could make out one had scales and the other fur and ears like a… Hare, "Harey?!" she gasped as she could recognize the forms of two of Undyne's officers, the former guards, Harey and Draco.

"SuP? FrIsK rIgHt?"

"Frisk…? Are you saying that that's…" Papyrus couldn't say more as Sans had put his hands on his brother mouth. He looked down and Sans put a finger to his mouth as if shushing him.

"You… You're still there? I mean… You're-?" Frisk struggled to form words.

"SaNe? YeAh…We GuEsS… It'S cRaZy BeInG EaChOtHeR…" it shuddered then with a malformed, fluffy talon scratched the back of it's fused head covered by the morphed plating of what was once their helmets. "LiKe, WhAt HaPpNed?"

"A very great amount of things." Replied Gaster. "… You seem in control of yourselves… Are you one or both of the original monsters?" he asked, curious.

"Dad, Not the time for a scientific interview!" said Frisk, she looked back at the amalgamate, "Are there others like you?"

"We DoN't KnOw." it replied with a shrug.

"We should make out way to the others." Said Gaster. He looked back at the Amalgamate, "What should we call you, then? If you are still separate I can refer to you by both names but…"

The amalgamate thought for a moment, a sickly bubbling of air escaping from one of it's flaps sounded as it breathed… It reminded Frisk of Sans' whoopee cushion. She almost smiled despite of herself.

"I gUeSs UhH… DrArEry? LiKe We'Re Us…BuT nOt?" it shrugged again.

Gaster nodded, "Then we shall allow Drarey to escort us. If we happen upon anymore Amalgamates then it should be a simple matter to determine their mental state and… We can collect them."

"Can you help them, Dad?" Frisk asked as she looked over Drarey with pity.

"I do not know… But we cannot leave them to the wastes. Come, we should hurry."

"It's so dark…" whispered Sans.

Frisk looked over at him with worry then followed with a sigh as the bright sun shined down from above.


	5. Remnants 5: A new life

"U-Undyne?" Alphys voice roused the sleeping fish monster as the smell of her fiancé's cooking made her smile.

"Mmm, Breakfast ready, sweetie?" she asked rolling over to see Alphys smiling face holding a plate of food.

"Y-yup! I-I hope you l-like it!" she blushed, "I-I worked really h-hard on it j-j-just for you!"

Fuhuhu, what a cute face! She chuckled and planted a kiss on her lover's lips as she took the plate and felt a spark as the small monster let out a flustered sound and blushed all the more.

She looked as the plate, some kind of human sausage and eggs, it looked really good!

"I-I'm s-so excited! O-our W-w-wedding's tomorrow!" squeaked Alphys as she got up on the bed.

"Yeah, it's gonna be awesome!" replied Undyne, her fins flaring in happiness. 

"O-oh, here." she held out something and spoke again but to Undyne's horror it was not her sweetheart's voice. "Let me give you a knife!"

She looked up to see a red eyed Alphys with a maniacal grin stab a knife into her arm. The pain made her cry out and all around her the world fell apart. What was happening!? She looked at Alphys and gasped as the little monster dissolved before her eyes.

"Alphys!!" she cried before her vision faded to black.

"Gah!" she cried out as the knife in her arm sent a wave of pain anew as she jerked. No, not a knife.. Rebar?! She looked around in shock and it all came back to her. She tried to sit up but her arm was pinned, blood seeping from the wound where the iron bar was stabbed through. A piece of rubble had impaled it. The core must have gone up! her fins drooped, where was Alphys…? Wait! Where was their egg?! She looked around frantically and she saw it laying apparently unharmed on a pile of rubble nearby. She tried to lunge for it but cried out in pain, forgetting her arm.

No, she was going to get to her baby! Her eye flashed as a spear severed the bar and with a bellow she managed to rip her arm up and off the stub before the rubble it has supported came crashing down. The pain made her cringe but she fought it and dove for her egg, blood spattered onto it from her arm as she held it close to her. Her baby was okay… But her arm. She grit her teeth as the pain returned and felt herself growing weak from blood loss. But no! She wouldn't let this beat her! She quickly found a tattered banner from one of the shops that had been nearby and wrapped her arm, not taking her eye off of her Egg.

Once her arm was bandaged she fought off the urge to rest and gathered the egg in her arms. Looking around her, soul fell cold. Around her was nothing but a ruined city. She couldn't see any building left undamaged or completely destroyed. Her find drooped as concern for her mate pulsed through her. She couldn't sense Alphys… No, She had to be out there and she WOULD find her come hell or high water! She got up, cradling the egg close to her and tried to make sense of where she was.

Nothing looked familiar in the hellish wasteland around her. She looked all over but couldn't even see Mt. Ebott. She began to wander through the bone yard of horrible remains, her skin crawling as she looked over the unfortunate creatures. What were these things? These had to be humans… What a terribly fate to meet. She felt a wave of pity and sorrow for them as she held her egg close. She wouldn't wish this on her worst enemy, they had no defense against the Core's magic.

She shivered with unease as she again looked over the horizon and her heart sunk further when she finally saw what was left of the former entrance and beginnings of the Underground. It was a gigantic canyon in the midst of a crater. It looked like if an anthill had been scooped into, the various tunnels and chambers now exposed to the surface.

Had Alphys been there…? She shook her head, No! No, her mate would be safe. She had to be. The others had to be alright, there was no other option! Ngah! if they weren’t alright she would beat them up for it!! … She felt tears form in her eye. They had to be alive…

A sudden movement from inside the egg in her arms made her stop and look down in surprise and she gasped. The scaly shell of her precious Egg had become crisscrossed with cracks! Was it breaking?! No… Hatching! No, not here you little dummy! You weren’t safe! She looked around desperate to find a safe place for the birth of her child and with a sigh of relief she spotted part of a building not completely destroyed. It looked like a good temporary shelter. She rushed to it, the egg ever cracking in her arms. She managed to gather some assorted cloth and other soft materials and arranged a sort of nest which she set the egg. 

The cracks had spread over the entire surface and her soul skipped a beat as a shard of shell fell leaving an opening. She could hardly breath as she saw a tiny, webbed hand grasp at the opening, clenching and unclenching. With trembling hands she carefully held it and the little hand latched onto her fingertip like a lifeline as another hole was punched and a tiny webbed foot emerged.

"My baby…" she breathed as more and more of the shell broke away and she began to hear soft whimpers. "Shh… You can do it." she cooed, "Just a little more, baby." her normally gruff voice soft and full of love for her child as it fought against the shell. Monsters had to hatch on their own, to help them would damage their soul. She began to worry when the grip on her finger relaxed and feared the baby was too weak. Her soul felt icy after they stopped moving. No…

"C'mon, sweetie, you're almost there!" she gently shook the little hand and sobbed in joy when the grip tightened once more and with a whine the shell cracked into revealing her newborn son.

He was beautiful! She lost all restraint as she cried in joy. There lay her baby boy, his appearance a mix of her's and Alphys' "Oh my god… You wonderful boy…" A boy! A beautiful, precious baby boy she knew with all her soul she would fight and die for if she had to. She carefully cradled the squirming, crying little thing in her arms and grabbed a particularly soft bit of material to wipe off the remaining residue of the egg membrane from his little body. She grinned and laughed as he scrunched up his little face and pushed at the cloth weakly. "Already a fighter, huh? My baby boy… Don't worry, Mama's here…" she cooed. 

The baby burbled and looked up at her with yellow eyes. She smiled, "There… all clean!" she laughed and her soul sung as the little one smiled, the nubs of two buck teeth just like Alphys' poked over his bottom lip. His skin was a shade of green, probably from her blue and Alphys' yellow and a pale yellow covered his throat and middle. little numbs of a pair of horns sprouted from his head and a finned tail twitched against her wrist. He was perfect!

She was so thankful that her little boy had had the chance to come into this world… but this world… Her fins drooped as she looked up from her squirming child and gazed out at the wastes. It would be a difficult journey to find her… But she would bring their wonderful son to Alphys and once more see her mate's adorable smile. She smiled herself and cooed down at her little boy, "Come on, little guy, let's go find your other Momma."

He cooed back adorably and grasped at her finger as she stroked his soft cheek with her hand. This world had changed… But in this moment there was nothing else but her child and that was enough. They would find Alphys and there was no doubt of that. She cradled him close to her as she began to make her way through the ruined city.


	6. Remnants 6: Muffet

"So LiKe, AlPhYs ToTaLlY lOsT iT, hUh?" Drarey asked as they made their way towards the ruins of the city. Stopping occasionally to avoid being seen by the roaming amalgamate from earlier.

"She was not in control of her actions." correct Gaster, "But what happened is in the past. The main priority now is to find the others and compile a plan."

"Frisk, you said the monsters had survived, right?" Papyrus looked over at her.

Frisk was silent, lost in thought before Papyrus called her name again, rousing her from them. "Huh? Oh… Yeah! everyone in the school made it." she looked over at Gaster, "Dad…? Why didn't the core kill everyone..?" she looked over at Drarey, "Harey and Draco… Why are they like that?"

"SoMeThInG wE'd LiKe To KnOw ToO." said Drarey, "LiKe, We'Re GlAd tO bE aLiVe AnD sTuFf… BuT, lIkE, wHy? We LoVeD bEiNg ClOsE aNd AlL bUt ThIs Is ToTaLlY InTeNsE!"

Gaster thought for a moment then, "It may be the surge of human souls that were separated from their bodies during the explosion… Perhaps the mixture of magic and Soul Power was stable enough to result in a fusion rather than destruction of both…" he looked over at them, "You are supporting evidence of that"

"So that means that, that… thing." Papyrus shuddered as the bellow of the human amalgamate echoed in the distance behind them, "It's all humans that survived? But… Can't we help them?"

"That I do not know." replied Gaster. "Even if separation of their forms was possibly it is very likely it would kill them. From what I've observed from my view in the void it seems amalgamates are impervious to damage…"

"There's got to be a way to help… Who knows? There might be a lot more like Drarey than the… other one."

"It is possible…"

"H-hi." Sans whispered causing them all to look at him. He was gazing into a ruined but not completely destroyed building, "Hi…"

"What do you see, Sans?" Asked Papyrus softly, shifting his older brother for a better grip in his single arm. Gaster has been carrying him for a bit but Sans preferred being held by his brother and didn't seem to want to walk on his own.

"Hi…" Sans repeated pointing to the ruins and nearly falling out of Papyrus' arm. He looked confused then snuggled into Papyrus' ribs, "… Bye…"

They all looked curiously between Sans and the ruins wondering what could have alerted the small skeleton. Both curiosity and fear gripped them, had it been an amalgamate?

"DoN't WoRrY, dUdEs!" Drarey shuffled forward, "We'Ll Go ChEcK iT oUt."

Papyrus looked between them and Sans before he said, "Be careful."

"Yes, it could be another enemy." Agreed Gaster.

As Drarey approached the ruins a voice could be heard, "Please don't hurt us…I-I'll pay you!"

"LiKe, M-mUfFeT…?

A little screech came from the ruins that were covered in a white, stringy webbing, "Please… Don't come any closer!"

Three pairs of hands popped up from the ruins as if to protect their owner from Drarey who slowly kneeled down on his mismatched knees, "MuFfEt? LiKe, It'S uS! yOuR fAvE cUsToMeRs!"

The hands receded and after a moment a purple spider monster crawled out of the ruins looking at Drarey with a mix of horror and awe, "H-Harey? Draco…? Dearies, is that you?"

A muffled roar sounded behind Muffet but she quickly turned around, "Shh! Dulce, it's okay, sweetie. They aren't going to hurt mommy!" she looked back at the Amalgamate with a sad smile, "You poor dear, you look very worse for ware. Are you all by yoursel-AHH!?" 

Before anyone could stop him, Sans had teleported beside Muffet who leapt back into the ruins. the thing within roared again.

"Sans, no!" Scolded, Papyrus as she rushed towards him. "Muffet? It's me, Papyrus! Don't worry, you're safe!"

Sans looked up at his brother with a hurt expression, "I'm hungry." he whispered.

As Drarey carefully encouraged Muffet and her pet out of hiding, Papyrus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Sans, she doesn't have any food for you. You can't keep teleporting to people like that..." he said softly.

"… Oh." he looked over at Muffet who was clutching two arms to her chest as she tried to calm her breathing, three other hands cling to one of Drarey's talons as he helped her climb out of her web wrapped shelter. "I-I'm sorry…"

She pat her chest and smiled, "I-it's okay, deary! I'm just a little shaken up is all. A-are you hungry?" she reached behind her and pulled a scruffy bag from the ruins before reaching inside and handing Sans a pastry, "Now.. I think given the circumstances I can make this one on the house. Eat up… Sans..? It that you?"

"H-hi, Muffet." Sans gladly took the snack and chewed on it happily. "Thank you…" he looked at his brother, "She's nice… But, it's so dark… I-is is time for sleep?" he whispered between bites.

Papyrus looked at him with pity and sighed, "Are you getting tired, Sans? We can rest if you need to, brother." he looked back at the others as they headed over than said to Gaster, "Will he stay this way?"

"I'm sure he will become more stable with time." Said Gaster before looking at Muffet, "Ms. Muffet, would it be agreeable for us to rest her for a moment?"

Muffet smiled and nodded cheerfully, "Of course! You're all welcome in my parlor anytime! Although…" She looked around the ruined building that once used to be her bakery, "It's certainly seen better days. Would any of you have an idea of what on earth happened?"

"I am afraid we do, "Replied Gaster as they all made their way into the ruins, "And it is not a pleasant tale…"

After a little while they had managed to make a little area where they could all rest. Muffet's pet, Dulce, a cupcake-spider-like monster waddled around happily as the new, safe guests made the place more comfortable. They managed to salvage some cloth, dishes, and surprisingly some leftover food which she had conjured into a tasty meal. They all sat on their individual 'nests' they had made with the exception of Papyrus who was holding a slumbering, muttering Sans. Gaster and Frisk had filled her and Drarey in on what had happened while they both listened with looks of shock (although with Drarey it was hard to tell except by his movements) and concern.

"That’s… Quite the series of events!" Said Muffet after a few minutes of silence as they each looked at one another, trying to come to grips with their situation. "The poor dear…" she looked over at Sans who was still fast asleep next to Papyrus who had tucked him into the cloth to give his arm a rest. "I hope he can be helped."

Dulce, who had been dozing near Sans yawned and plodded over to snuggle against the little skeleton making everyone break into a smile, that was cute. Sans muttered something incoherent in his sleep and his arms wrapped around the cupcake-like monster as his expression relaxed.

"Once we meet up with the others and establish a base camp I intend to make it my first priority." Said Gaster.

"By the way, deary," Muffet studied Gaster, "Who are you? You… remind me of an old acquaintance of mine. Though he's been dead for years, the poor dear." she sighed.

"I must say." Gaster smiled, "Your cooking has gotten better. If I recall you always had managed to set fire to the school kitchen when you attempted any culinary tasks. Though your version of Spider tea wasn't a complete failure.

Muffet laughed brightly, "Oh yes I remember! Gaster's face was so funny, he wanted to spit it out but he was too poli- … the only person I ever let try that tea." her five eyes widened, "G-Gaster…?"

"It is good to see you again, old friend." he smiled.


	7. Remnants 7: Unhappy Reunion

Undyne stiffened at the sound of shuffling nearby. She had managed to construct a rudimentary shelter out of materials she had salvaged and had put up makeshift walls of junk around the ruined building corner she had found. Her eyes had scarcely left her son who was sleeping peacefully in a nest of cloth, towels, and other scraps of soft material she had found. She looked around warily at the wasteland that was slowly becoming darker as the sun sunk behind the distant hills.

"Show yourself!" she called out to the shadows, daring a threat to make itself known. She hissed and her fins flared as a dim glow drifted into view. She made sure her baby was secure before getting up and standing guard at the entrance to her shelter.

"Undyne, is that you?" a weal voice called as the light grew brighter and the pink glow of Mettaton emerged from the shadows. He looked at her in shock. "My god, darling, I thought the worst!"

"Mettaton!" She grinned and relaxed. "I thought you were something dangerous. Are you okay?" She stepped aside and motioned him to enter the shelter.

"I've certainly been better!" he floated past her and stopped dead as he spotted the baby. "Oh my… Undyne…"

"Yeah… I can't wait for Alphys to see him. He's beautiful, huh?" She made her way back over to the boy who was stretching in his sleep. A tiny yawn revealed his nubby teeth and she smiled.

"Does he have a name?" Asked Mettaton taking in the child's features like a treasure.

"Not yet." she shook her head as she softly stroked the baby's soft tuft of hair. "I want to see what Alphys thinks would be a good name."

Mettaton nodded but his expression was grim, "Do you… think she's alright?"

"I know it!" she winced at her unintentional volume and the baby squirmed with a whimper. "Shh.. I'm sorry, baby. Mama didn't mean to be loud." she cooed before looking back at Mettaton, "I know she's alive. She'll be so happy to see him…"

"I hope you're right, darling." he replied softly, "I hope Papyrus and the others are alright too. I'm so worried about them."

They sat in a silence only broken by the baby's grunts and snores. It seemed both of them dreaded finding out any of their friends had been lost in the blast. Not knowing what else to do, Undyne added fuel to the little fire she had going but said nothing. Mettaton looked lost in thought.

In the distance came a terrible roar and both monsters stiffened.

"What was that?" Mettaton looked out of the shelter into the growing darkness. "I've heard that before…"

"I'm not sure." said Undyne, "But whatever it is it doesn't sound friendly…" she sighed, "It's not safe here. It'll be night soon and whatever the hell that is will probably be on the hunt."

"But where can we go?" he asked, "Everything is in ruin."

She carefully lifted her son into her arms who squirmed and yawned as he opened his yellow eyes and looked up at her, curious. She held him close and he put his webbed hands on her face with a happy burble.

"We can't stay here." she declared getting up. "You glow so we'll have some light…" she thought for a moment, "Any idea where the others would be? Think they're still at Mt, Eb- … at the crater?"

"I hope not… But that's the last place Papyrus and the others were." he shuddered, "Oh my poor sugar skull, I hope he's alright!" he shrunk away apologetically when Undyne shushed him and nodded towards her son who whimpered at his loud voice. "Sorry… But do you really want to go there?"

"We don't have much of a choice. There's probably still parts of the underground left standing. If we can make it there we might meet up with the others."

Having no argument, Mettaton nodded and the two of them gathered what supplies they could from the ruin and prepared to head out. The echoed Roar of the unknown creature stayed distant but still sent a chill down their souls. After making sure they had everything they could salvage and that the baby was well secured in a makeshift carrying pack, which Undyne wore on her front, they left out into the evening.

The feeling of being watched prickled her fins as Undyne followed Mettaton who was serving as their light in the shadowy, ruined city. Here and there she heard movement but nothing approached. Holding her boy close she wished nothing more than to leave this damned city and find her mate.

She gasped and quickly covered the baby's eyes, much to his protest, as the pink glow struck a gruesome sight of countless twisted bones.

"Oh my god, there's hundreds of them!" exclaimed Mettaton in horror. "W-what are-are those the humans?!" He covered his mouth with his stubby arms and looked ill. "My god…"

"There's nothing we can do for them anymore." Undyne said in a heavy tone trying not to cry. If this was what happened to the humans then… What about Alphys? "Don't look at them, Mettaton, just go!"

Her boy whined and pawed at her hands but she would not let her baby see this. Shushing him softly she quickened her pace as Mettaton floated faster, both desperate to get away from the horrible sight. Thankfully the bodies thinned and they managed to make their way into an area free of the carnage. Before them lay a desolate waste that stretched far into the distance. Only a few buildings remained standing here and none of them seemed inhabited.

"It looks like… nobody else made it in this area." Mettaton shuddered. "Undyne maybe we should-"

His words were cut off by a deafening roar. The two of them turned to see a large creature leap out of the darkness. The amalgamate pounded the ground and bellowed at them fiercely. 

"What the hell is that?!" shrieked Mettaton.

"RUN!" Shouted Undyne and they fled as fast as they could. 

Adrenaline filled her along with fear, That was an amalgamate! What was THAT doing here?! Those were… no, that wasn't one of Alphys' patients! She followed the fleeing ghost as fast as she could before suddenly she tripped on a piece of rubble and quickly rolled to land on her back, clutching her child protectively. She looked to see the Amalgamate galloping towards her with fists raised. No! This couldn't happen!

Her eye flared bright as she summoned her spears and loosed a volley into the beast, knocking it backwards with a sickening thud. Her son wailed loudly in fright. Fuel by her determination to protect her baby she formed another attack and sent it into the amalgamate who had already recovered from the previous assault. This time, however, the beast stood firm as the spears embedded themselves into it's fleshy hide. To her horror she saw them sink into the muck and vanish, it was absorbing the attack!

She dodged as the fleshy fists slammed down where she had only been seconds before. Without means to attack it she could only dodge. Mettaton called out for her but there was nothing he could do. Things were looking very grim.

Suddenly a barrage of glowing, blue, yellow, and purple bones slammed into the beast forcing it backwards into a building who's unstable structure finally gave out and buried the creature in rubble. She looked over to see who her saviors were but a figure suddenly appeared in front of her and she slammed her fist into the face with red, glowing eyes.

"… Ow" Sans sat dazed where he had fallen as Papyrus and Gaster, Muffet and Frisk ran forward from the dark.

"Sans?! What the hell are yo- Holy shit!" her son screeched as she quickly leapt away from the sight of another Amalgamate, "Get back! It's one of those things!"

"No-no!" Papyrus raised his hand, "It's okay, Undyne, he's safe!"

"Sugar skull?" Mettaton looked at Papyrus in disbelief, "Oh darling, what happened to your arm?!"

"Screw that, what the hell do you mean 'he's safe'?!" Undyne hissed, not taking her eyes off Drarey.

"Uh…HeY, CaPiTaN uNdYnE." said Drarey with a wave of his talon. "iT's JuSt Us, We'Re FrIeNdS, rEmEmBeR?"

"What the hell…? It can talk?" Undyne looked dumbfounded momentarily before her son's cries brought her to and she shushed him softly, stroking his head.

"Undyne…" Papyrus stepped forward aside Mettaton, his sockets wide with awe. "Is that…?"

"He's amazing." Frisk breathed as she too approached. "Undyne… Congratulations." she smiled.

"Wha… Can someone tell me what the hell's going on!?" snapped Undyne. "Who the hell is that thing and where the hell have you punks been!?" she glared at all of them but then her stare turned to worry, "Wasn't… Isn't Alphys with you guys?"

They all looked at each other but said nothing. Undyne hissed, "Well?!"

"Undyne… Alphys did not make it." Said Gaster, bowing his head. "She is dead."

"LIAR!" she shouted. "How dare you tell me that bullshit! Where is she?!" she was temporarily deaf to the baby's cries as she looked over the group murderously, "Where is my mate?!"

"Dead." whispered Sans, having gotten up and made his way over. "Alphys is dead. I killed her." his tone was soft and dead as he looked at her blankly, "So, she's not here."

"You're a sick son of a bitch, Sans! Why would you say something like that!?" She pushed him back causing him to stumble over and cling to Papyrus. "He's joking, right!?"

it was Papyrus who spoke after a moment, "No, Undyne. Sans… Sans didn't meant to do it. He-"

His words were cut off as Sans shrieked and dropped to his knees, grasping his head in pain. "Dark! Make it go away! Make her stop! I-I D-didn't, Shut up!"

"What the hell's his problem?!" Undyne hissed, "Did that little bastard really kill Alphys?!"

"Calm yourself, Undyne!" Gaster held up his hand to stop her from advancing on the twitching skeleton. "Sans is unstable, it would be unwise to approach him."

"Screw approaching, I'm gonna kill that little fucker!" Magic flared in her eye but she gasped and dropped her guard as Gaster's magic flared to life around her, locking her in place. "Let me go!"

"Consider your child, Undyne…" he warned and she relented and held her crying son close as the magic dissipated.

While the two of them argued, Papyrus, Frisk, and Mettaton surrounded Sans as he curled up and muttered incoherently to himself.

"What did he mean, 'make her stop'?" wondered Papyrus, "Did he mean Undyne or…?"

The other two looked at him with no answer.

"The poor dearie's out of his mind." Sighed Muffet coming over, "Who knows what he's going through in that mind of his…"

With a sigh Papyrus scooped up his little brother in his arm and looked at the others, "We should keep going."

"Indeed." agreed Gaster looking towards the silent pile of rubble.

"YeAh, ThAt ThInG cOuLd ToTaLlY wAkE uP…" nodded, Drarey.

"This isn't over…" Undyne sobbed angrily. "You assholes have a lot of explaining to do."

"Undyne… Please don't hate him." Said Frisk, "He's in enough pain as it is…"

"If he really killed her then you're dead wrong, Frisk." she growled back before nodding to the others who continued on their way towards the school in a silence broken only by the child's whines, Dulce's whimpers, and the echoes of amalgamates in the distance.


	8. Remnants 8: So Dark...

"S-sans?" Alphys hovered over the dim, half soul as the ghostly image of Sans formed around it. "Oh Sans… D-don't do this."

She sat down with a sigh and waited for the skeleton to fully materialize around the soul fragment. This had been her existence since the explosion had blasted her dying body into the void. Ever since she has awoken to the darkness and found him, lying motionless on the 'ground' of the void.

She had rushed to him but he's been… wrong. Muttering and shivering and constantly degrading into a sobbing mess. She had managed to calm him enough to talk and only barely.

That had been a while ago when they had discovered their predicament. She had tried her best to help Sans but his being was torn between two dimensions… Such an existence shouldn't be possible and it was killing him.

"S-sans… Please, go back!" she begged. "You c-can't keep coming here!"

"Al…phys…" he groaned. "I.."

"Sans you can't keep losing focus on your real body." Alphys carefully shifted the skeleton's head into her lap, "It's going t-to k-kill you…"

"Can't… Make.. Make it… STOP!" his eyes snapped open and Alphys hugged him tightly as he thrashed.

"I-it's okay, Sans! Y-you're w-with me again!" She help him tightly as she had done so many times before.

"No! N-n-no!" he whined childishly.

Dealing with him had taken much patience. This state was child-like and unpredictable. Hading only half a soul, this Sans was hardly the monster she knew. Regardless she knew he would calm down.

"Shh… It's okay, Sans. You're alright…" she cooed and the skeleton slowly stopped moving and fell limp in her arms.

"It's dark…" He whispered looking up at her with his red eyes.

"Don't t-think about it." Said Alphys softly. "W-where are y-you?"

He closed his eyes and sighed as his body tensed involuntarily then relaxed after a moment, "Undyne…"

"Y-you found Un-Undyne!? S-sans, I-is she okay, what a-about our e-egg?!" She struggled to keep her tone stable for him despite her need to know about the happenings of the other world.

"…Yeah." he whispered. "I… Told her I… I…" he tensed again but Alphys stroked his skull softly with her hand and shushed him.

"It's o-okay, Sans. Y-you d-did your best…" She sighed sadly.

"I…" red tears welled up.

"You kn-know I d-don't blame you, Sans."

He shook his head rapidly, "It hurts!"

"It's the strain o-on your s-soul…"

"C-can you… make it stop..? M-make me stop so you can un-stop?"

She sighed, knowing well what he was asking. He had begged her to kill him before. Begged her to take his place. There was no bringing her back, Gaster was proof of that. He had been trapped here for decades so she knew it would be the same or longer for her… if she could ever escape at all.

"D-don't talk l-like that." she said softly, holding him close, "Y-you're a g-good Man, Sans."

"Murderer…" he sobbed. 

"You w-were p-protecting Papyrus." she corrected. "M-many people w-would do the same…" she let go of him as she shakily sat up and hid his face in his hands. "W-Where are you?"

He was silent for a moment then, "The city… we… we're going w-with Frisk."

"Why did you come here?"

"Undyne." he flinched at speaking her name. "S-she… I…I…" he trailed off into a dead stare.

"S-sans?" she held out her hand and he flinched, "It's okay. D-Do you n-need to g-go back now?"

He shook his head, "Sleeping…"

"Does P-Papyrus h-have you?"

He nodded.

"Then a-at least you're s-safe." she smiled. "W-where I-is Frisk taking y-you?"

"School… Tori's there I think… and others. I t-think it's safe?"

"Good." she nodded. "N-now… S-should we t-talk about things a-again?"

"Should… I tell dad?" he asked tilting his head. His eye twitched as he studied her.

"Y-yeah, I think y-you should tell him a-about this." She through for a moment. "W-well what we know s-so far is y-your soul was split in t-two, right? G-Gaster might be able t-to fix you… Y-yeah, let him know w-when you go back, okay?"

"It hurts…" he whimpered as he hugged his knees.

"I know, S-sans… I can't f-fix you here."

"No… It hurts…" he put a hand on his busted socket.

"L-Let me see." she gently pushed aside his hand and gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "O-Oh my god! I-it's getting worse!"

She looked over the spreading cracks in horror and carefully traced them with her hand. Yes, those had defiantly gotten bigger. "S-sans… You've g-got to tell h-him as son a-as you can!"

Sans said nothing but nodded. "Al…phys…?"

"Y-yes, Sans?"

"I can't… see…" he put his hand back on his socket.

"A-are you b-blind in that eye?"

He nodded.

She sighed and carefully guided him to lean against her where he relaxed and his eyes drooped. "Just s-sleep, Sans… Y-you'll be okay. O-okay?"

Sans closed his eyes and smiled crookedly, "… liar" he whispered before he sighed and fell asleep.

Alphys sighed and looked on into the vast nothingness. She didn't know what to do to help her friends… Her mate…

"Oh U-undyne… Please… F-forgive him." She sniffled and rested her head against Sans, listening to the eerie silence of the surrounding darkness. It was always… so dark.


	9. Lost and found

The moonrise was casting a pale light over the wastes as the group approached the School. Light was coming from the several fires where the survivors gathered. Frisk was relieved to see their destination in sight but in her head, Chara sighed.

'What should we do about Undyne?' she asked.

"I'm not sure, Chara…" Frisk looked over to where Undyne was silently holding her son as she marched. A look of subdued and festering anger gleamed in her eye. "But we can't let her hurt Sans. I don't know what happened exactly but I think we should get him to tell us so she understands. I know Sans wouldn't have killed Alphys unless he had to."

'A mother's anger is hard to sooth… She lost her mate and Sans is the reason she's gone. I think… I think we should hide him while he's sleeping. Keep him away from her until you can talk to him.'

"Shouldn't we have some of the others help?" 

'Remember how he said you were like a daughter to him? He still feels that way. You and Papyrus are the most precious things in his world. So if you can get him where you two are the only ones near or at least nearest then he should be able to keep calm. Just do what you can to get him safe okay?'

Frisk thought a moment then, "I'll try."

An elated squeal sounded as they approached and Frisk found herself stumbling back as Asriel's small body collided with her waist as he hugged her. The other monsters began to look up and there were cheers and welcomes at the sight of more survivors.

"Frisk, Frisk! I was so worried! I'm go glad you're alright!!" he sobbed happily looking up at her with big, teary eyes.

"Sorry to worry you, As. Everything's going to be alright now." she smiled and picked him up into a hug. His soft fur was warm as he hugged her tightly.

"My child, you're come back!" Toriel hurried forward from one of the fires where Asgore and a few other monsters has gotten up to come see them.

"We're okay, Mom." she laughed as Toriel enveloped both her and Asriel in a warm hug. "And Undyne's egg hatched!"

"Egg?" Toriel looked over at Undyne who was holding her son close as she looked over the survivors, as if looking in vain for Alphys. "Oh my god… I had no idea you and Alphys had-"

"Is she here?" Undyne said flatly, her stare cold and distrusting. "Is Alphys with you?"

Toriel looked at her with sorrowful eyes and shook her head, "You did not find her as well?" Undyne said nothing and stomped off towards one of the further fires, ignoring the monsters that tried to speak to her. "Oh my… What has happened on your journey here?" she asked looking back at the others.

"Much has transpired since the explosion, Your Highness." replied Gaster stepping forward. "I will tell you of it but first I must stress the importance of setting up a proper… 'base camp'? I suppose that would be what to call it."

"Doctor Gaster, what are those awful cries we keep hearing? Do they have something to do with your proposal?" Asgore looked into the night as in the far distance the roar of another Amalgamate sounded though too far away to be a threat.

Frisk tensed, this was it. They had told Drarey to hang back while they got closer to town and told the others about him. She hoped they wouldn't react too badly…

"Those are the calls of Amalgamates." Gaster held up his hand as the two rulers started to ask him more, "They are very dangerous. However, not all of them may be so. We have brought one with us. They were once two of the Royal Guard. I have told them not to approach until we could prepare you for them… If you would agree I would rather take you to him than to have him come here just yet so that he does not startle people."

As the three discussed this, Frisk eyed Sans who still slumbered in Papyrus' arm while he talked with Mettaton and Tonnis. She made her way to his opposite side and whispered to Papyrus, "Brother, can I hold Sans for a little while?"

"Nyeh? Um… Sure, Frisk." he smiled and shifted his brother over to her arms. "…I hope he wakes up soon."

"What happened to him, Frisk? He looks pretty bad…" Tonnis looked over the sleeping skeleton.

"I… I want to find out." she said with a nod. "Chara said it might be a good idea if I were to try to talk to him once he wakes up… but Undyne," she looked over at the scowling fish monster in the fire furthest from the rest. "I don't think it would be a good thing if she saw him awake."

"What happened out there?" No one knows anything and a lot of people are pretty lost as what to do…" He sighed, "Do you think Sans might know something that could help?"

Frisk shrugged, "I hope so…"

"Nyeh… I don't want you taking him anywhere out there. We should try to find a safe area away from the others if you think it will help."

Frisk was about to answer when a soft voice spoke up from behind, "There is room at my shelter if it would suit you." They looked behind them to see the flaming form of Grillby watching them. His white eyes filled with concerned. "You won't be bothered there."

"Grillby!" Frisk was happy to see the fire monster had survived. She nodded and looked up at Papyrus who also nodded in agreement, "Yes please. It would be appreciated."

Grillby motioned for them to follow him to a well built shelter made form various wreckage just outside of the school. He ushered them inside and to a sitting area. Frisk held Sans to her tightly as she sat down in one of the ragged chairs next to her friend and brother.

"I had a suspicion it was you, young Frisk. You've had quite the growth spurt." He eyed Frisk warmly before looking over at the others, "Papyrus, young Tonnis, I'm glad to see you all made it through the explosion. While I'm not sure of everything that's happened I'm assuming that explosion was the core. Correct?"

"How did you know?" Asked Frisk.

"I see that Wing Ding has managed to find his way out of the darkness." Replied Grillby, "He and I are old friends. We once talked about his research involving the construction of the core. I may not have chosen that path but science has always been a side hobby of mine… It helps to know chemical and magical properties to make food taste as good as it can." he chuckled. "But the magical radiation and the iridescent stain on the land… And the fate of those unfortunate creatures." his fire flickered as if he were shuddering, "We discussed fail safes and what could be a sign of a leak and other such issues. He enjoyed talking with me about his work, though probably because it helped to have someone to listen. Ideas seem to blossom more if heard out loud." he had been searching around an area in the corner and pulled out some mugs, "Would you care for some tea?" 

They all nodded and he set about preparing their drinks. As he worked he looked thoughtful.

"Grillby, how long ago was that?" Asked Frisk.

"Oh, I would say roughly two hundred years?" he thought a moment then nodded. "Though I could be off by a decade or two."

She marveled at the fire monster's age. She knew her mother and Asgore were well over five hundred years but still, the lifespan of monsters still surprised her sometimes.

"Yes, I do suppose I look well for my age," he chuckled. "On the topic of age, young Frisk, what has caused your recent growth, if I might ask?"

Frisk started to speak when Sans' small hand grasped her arm weakly and he groaned. She looked down to see him shift in his sleep but his grip weakened and he seemed to remain asleep. She sighed and hugged him to her before she looked back at Grillby and told him about Chara.

It was the first time she had been able to say everything and Tonnis, Grillby, and Papyrus listened closely. She told them about how Chara and her had come to peace and had remerged into one being. With Chara's permission she also told them of the little human's constant presence in her mind.

"That's quite an eventful tale, young Frisk." Grillby passed out the now prepared tea before seating himself down on a vacant chair. "Then if I may, Greetings, Princess Chara."

A shiver of warmth and a giggle sounded in her mind, 'He's always so nice. but she doesn't have to call me that.' Chara blushed, something that was reflected on her own cheekbones. 'Hello Mr. Grillby.'

"She say you don't have to call her princess. But she says hello." Frisk relayed Chara's words with a smile.

Sans made an odd noise in his sleep somewhere between a chuckle and a gasp. Frisk looked down at his cracked face and sighed. "I hope he's alright…"

"Sans has committed an act many monsters can only have nightmares of." Grillby sipped his tea and looked over to the small skeleton sadly, "May I ask who he battled?"

They all looked over at him but it was Papyrus that answered. "He didn't mean to, Grillby… The core blew up because of a bad human. Their soul captured Alphys and Sans was only trying to… protect me…" He steadied himself and told Grillby all of what happened at the core.

"I see…" Grillby was silent for a moment then his flames swelled momentarily as he sighed, "Sans is a good man. I'm sorry he had to do such a dark thing." He studied the sleeping skeleton for a moment, "Those deformities will never go away, but what else has caused him to sleep like this? Normally he would have woken up by now. You did say his mind was damaged but could it be something more?"

"I really hope not…" Sighed Frisk.

"I have a few extra beds, "Grillby motioned to a short hallway that was partially lit by his own light where they could see several neatly made beds. "The queen tasked me with setting up a shelter along with a few others but mostly the others are sticking with their loved ones so it's just been me here…"

"What?" Frisk looked around and noticed that there was no green flames to be seen. Grillby's daughter had never really been around Frisk much but she felt her marrow chill and she asked, "Grillby… where's Fuku?"

Grillby didn't respond but his flames flared and danced in stress before he whispered, "Gone."

Frisk opened her mouth to say something as the fire monster buried his face in his hands but without warning Sans weight was lifted off her lap as he vanished and reappeared a split second later at Grillby's side, throwing his small arms around his old friend.

"G-gone?" Sans whispered, "Grillby… I'm sorry…"

"Oh," The flame monster made a crackling sound like a sniffle and put his hand on Sans' head, "Sans… It was not your doing that brought this upon us… Fuku may be gone but she will always be with me." he grasped the ribbon on his vest which they now noticed was not his bowtie but Fuku's red ribbon.

"I… Tried." whispered Sans leaning against him.

"Sans?" Frisk carefully got up as not to startle him, "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright, sis." Sans replied quietly looking up at her. He looked over at Papyrus, "Paps… Your arm…"

"It's alright, Sans. I'm perfectly healthy minus the limb!" Papyrus assured him. "What about you, are you feeling better?"

"I need to talk to Dad." he said shortly after pulling away from Grillby.

"Dad?" Frisk had never heard him call Gaster that before, "He's out with mom and Asgore. But, Sans, I need to talk to you."

"Okay." he nodded sitting down in the nearest chair and curling up to hug his knees. the look in his eye was still faraway as he looked over the others with his shrunken, red eye lights. "But it has to be soon."

"Is everything alright Sans?" asked Papyrus getting up and going over to him. he knelt down to his brother's eye level, "You seem like you're more yourself but what's happened to you?"

"I-I don't know how much time I have, bro." he said softly, reaching out and stroking Papyrus' cheek, "Look, this eye," he pointed at the broken socket, "It's only gonna get worse and I need t- Agh!" he flinched and curled up, groaning in pain.

"Sans!"

"H-heh, I'm okay, Pap… Look, If I don't make it then tell Dad about this. Maybe he can help me regain control again." he winced, "I-I'm not nuts! It's m-my so- ow!" he cried out in pain and held his head, "I'm stuck, tell him I'm stuck between here and the void! A-Alphys said he might be able to h-h-h…" he fell limp and Papyrus quickly picked him up as the others rushed over.

"He's out again." Papyrus sighed. "Oh Sans…"

"Did he say Alphys?" Tonnis looked at the others with a puzzled expression, "He killed her, right?"

"So, he's trapped between worlds…" Grillby held his chin, thoughtful. "You should stay here while I go to Gaster. It's safe here and if he should reawaken you three should be here for him."

"Thank you, Grillby." Said Frisk with a grateful smile.

"I will return shortly." with that he left out the door leaving the three to exchange worried looks as the small skeleton whimpered and slept on in his brother's arm.


	10. Stay with me

A little while later Grillby returned with Gaster in tow. Sans hadn't moved since he had left and the others could only hope Gaster would be able to help. He slowly walked over to where the little skeleton lay sleeping, clinging to Papyrus for dear life.

"Has there been any change?" Asked Gaster to which Papyrus shook his head sadly. "I see. Grillby has told me that he said something along the lines of being stuck between this world and the void." he studied the sleeping monster thoughtfully, "That should not be possible… Here, give him to me." He held out his arms and hesitantly, Papyrus handed him over. He carefully ran his finders over the jagged edge of the busted socket causing Sans to let out a pained groan in his sleep. "I had only guessed that it was a piece of the core that did this… It seems I may have been correct in that assumption after all." He sat down in an empty chair as he cradled Sans, his face dark with worry. "My son… What has happened to you…?"

"Can you help him, Gaster?" Asked Papyrus in a pleading tone, "I c-can't stand to see him in so much pain!"

"Dad… How could he be split like that?" asked Frisk.

"Hm… What I theorize is when the core went up some of the inner most casing broke off and caused the damage to his eye. It could be that some of the residual energy still remained on the material and caused an effect similar to what occurred when I myself entered the core. It seems the void is somehow connected with the magical energy that was contained within the core but… As to why it split his soul instead of completely dissipating it as it did mine? I can only wonder…"

"But you can fix him, right?" Papyrus absently mindedly rubbed his shoulder and looked at the floor, tears pricked the edges of his sockets and Frisk leaned against him.

"I will try." said Gaster. "I do not know much about how the core exists relative to this world. In all my time there I was only able to gleam a basic idea of how to manipulate the energies within it."

"But, Dad, I brought you back right?" Frisk looked over from Papyrus, "Why can't we bring the other Half of Sans back that way?"

Gaster shook his head sadly, "No, my situation is completely different. You see I am only able to be in this world because I am anchored here using your magic as a base. When I created that body for you I used part of my own magic and an effect was bonding part of my soul essence to you…Sans has no such connection. Although I created he and Papyrus I did not form the same bond. It was your determination that linked my magic to you while I conducted my work on your soul." he thought a moment, "There is a possibility to form an anchor point using the soul half he has now to attempt to call the other half from the void but it is entirely guesswork at this point." He looked down at his son and sighed, "I will do what I can for him. There is no reason I will not be able to help him once we have proper equipment and shelter constructed. For now, I am afraid he must remain as he is. It would not do to try and save him with sub par arrangements."

"How's Mom and Asgore?" asked Frisk, "Is everyone alright with Drarey?" 

"They were… hesitant to approach him but it seems he will be accepted. I will also be helping to educate a team to search out any other sentient Amalgamates while others prepare to scavenge supplies. From what I was able to discuss with the King and Queen It seems the ruins of the school are a first priority. Work will begin to create a safe 'base camp' as it were." he looked around and then turned to Grillby, "I shall send those who require no medical attention your way if it is alright."

Grillby nodded, "I will accept as many as I can, old friend." his flames crackled quietly as he stood beside Gaster and looked down at the sleeping Sans, "Do you think he'll awaken again soon? If not I can prepare an area for him to rest undisturbed."

"Thank you," replied Gaster, "I do no know how long he will remain asleep but," he looked at the others, "I need at least two of you to come with me to help with the construction."

"I'll help." said Tonnis getting up.

"Frisk?" Papyrus looked over at his sister, "Would you mind staying here with him?"

She shook her head, happy to have an excuse to be alone with him at last. "No, I don't mind. I'll make sure he's alright."

With that Grillby set to work setting up a bed in the furthest corner with makeshift curtains. It reminded Frisk of the curtains humans had in their hospitals for patients. With a shudder she tried not to think of Sans as ill. No, Gaster would find a solution. He had to.

Tonnis, Papyrus and the other two left a little while afterwards leaving only her and Sans. She lay down on the couch Grillby had moved over to the bed and waited. 

'When he wakes up you should try to ask him more about what happened.' Suggested Chara.

"I plan to. It's just, I don't want to upset him… You saw him earlier, he's in a lot of pain probably…" she sniffled and willed away the tears that threatened to form. "I'm scared, Chara…"

'He said he spoke to Alphys, Frisk. If she's wish the other half of his soul then there might be a chance Gaster can help her as well!'

Chara was right, Sans had said Alphys told him to tell Gaster about his soul… Could she really still be alive in a way and in the void with him? How could that even…? She held her head. This was just too much to handle. He entire world had changed in only a day and she felt helpless. Part of her wanted to curl up next to Sans and pretend everything was just a bad dream… Why did this have to happen? She listened to the wind outside whistle mournfully through the wastes. There just hadn't been enough time to stop this from happening… not enough… time?

"Chara…?"

'Yeah. Frisk?'

"What if I loaded my save?"

Chara's surprise at the question prickled through her bones but a she sighed. 'No, Frisk. Loading won't change anything…'

"Why not?! I had to have been happy before this whole mess!" she folded her arms and tried to think of why it wouldn't work. "I could! I should still be able to!"

'You still have you powers…' Chara sighed, 'But your save is after the explosion… You remember when we found Undyne? Your whole being lit up with joy at the sight of her kid. If you loaded now you would go back to that moment and all it would do is make you relive Sans telling her about Alphys.'

Cold sorrow clutched her soul as Frisk let that truth settle over her. Wait! "But if Sans saw Alphys then it's okay! Undyne doesn't have to be mad at him if Dad can save her too!"

'There's no way of knowing if he CAN save her, Frisk…'

It was true, Gaster might not be able to save either of them… She sat there thinking as she watched Sans sleep. His face was peaceful but she knew inside he was torn. Helplessness pulsed through her bones as she sat there and watched, hoping that Sans would wake up soon.

A sudden sound cause her to jerk and awaken from the light doze she had fallen into. She looked to see Sans sitting up in bed, watching her. His eyes were almost pinpricks as he looked at her, seemingly in a daze.

"S-Sans…? She shifted and made to get up, "Are you okay?"

"Did I wake you up?" he asked quietly, "Sorry… I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, no it's fine!" she smiled, "Do you need anything?"

He shook his head and looked around, "Where…?"

"You're safe." she assured him, "We're in a shelter and everyone's out working to make things better." She got up and went over to him, sitting down on the bed she reached out slowly and cupped his cheek in her hand. He nuzzled into it.

"You're really warm…" he grinned wider. "Guess… Guess they left you to watch me? I'm sorry… I… I…" he trailed off and seemed to stare off into space for a moment.

"Sans?"

His eyes jerked back to her, "Oh, Are… you cold too?" he scooted to the side, "Here, kid… It's warm." he flipped back the covers.

She hesitated then nodded as she got into bed with him. He leaned against her and she could feel him shivering. "Sans, are you really that cold?"

He shook his head, "Just hurts…" he fingered his busted socket absentmindedly. "You okay, kid?" He chuckled, "Looks like you... Looks like your fine but with all these.. changes? He looked over at her, "I think that asking you to be alright would be a 'stretch'."

It took her a moment to realize he had just joked about her new height. She laughed and hugged him gently, "Oh Sans… I'm so sorry you're hurting." She sniffled, the tears from earlier now falling. "I just wish I… I just want to help!"

He winced at her volume but he gently patted her shoulder. "It's not so bad… Just… Just don't hate me, okay?"

"Hate you?"

"I killed her…" he shuddered.

"Oh… Sans… I don't hate you, I would never hate you, big brother." She sobbed and held him tightly. "You didn't mean to hurt her, right?"

"She asked me the same thing…"

"Did you… are you… really with her?" She held her nonexistent breath, hoping that wouldn't set him off.

"…Yeah."

She smiled, "That's great! Well… not great because you're trapped but… If you can talk to her then… she's still alive somehow?"

He shrugged, "I… I would ask her… But it hurts. I… I don't want it to get dark again…" he tensed up, "It's so dark there…"

"Stay here." she said softly. "Stay with me, don't go back then…"

"…You know I'm… I'm not here, right, Frisk?" He was quiet a moment, his bones still tense, "That me is with her… But I… I'm alright." He shifted and hugged her to him, "I can't talk to her like this… sorry, kid… Guess I'm useless too, huh?"

The unintended insult stung Frisk. She didn't want to be useless! But she couldn't do anything to help the others. 

"You're not useless, Sans. You've never been useless." She stroked his skull gently and he finally relaxed, "I just wish there was something I could do." she sniffled, "I'm so sorry, Sans…"

He was quiet for a moment then, "That was wrong… You're not useless either… You're…" he trailed off and she looked down at him, wondering if he had fallen asleep again. he was looking up at her with red tears in his eyes.

"You're everything a Father could ask for…Brave, kind… Determined…" his eye sockets drooped, "You're still you…"

"Sans?"

"Heh… don't mind me, I'm… not all here."

She laughed softly and they sat in silence, both contend just to be bear each other and to have something solid to hold onto in this new world of the unknown.


	11. Something old. Something new.

It was Several days later that Sans felt well enough to get out of bed and Frisk rarely left his side. Though he seemed stable she would catch him muttering to himself as he absentmindedly felt his broken socket. While she tended to Sans, Papyrus, Tonnis, Undyne and a few others including Drarey had formed a patrol to search for any monsters or sane Amalgamates that had become lost in the wasteland. So far there had been several rescues. Ms. Bunny and her children, Monster Kid, and the two girls known as Bratty and Catty had been found not far from the school and more monsters were trickling in. It seems that there really were no humans out there anymore…

Toriel and Asgore had Taken up leadership as King and Queen once more though their relationship was still tense on occasion. Through the effort of the surviving monsters the ruins of the school had become a shelter, fashioned out of whatever useable materials they could find. Muffet and Ms.Bunny had set up a kitchen and Grillby had procured an additional shelter for those that were injured where Gaster watched over them while he awaited the completion of a makeshift lab. His assistants had returned and were working to find any salvageable machines and research from the Ebott Crater and so far their luck was hit and miss. It would take time but Frisk was sure he would have something up and running soon.

It was early one evening when the patrol group appeared on the horizon with another group of monsters in tow. The new arrivals were monsters she had never seen before and she watched them timidly make their way to the settlement from where she sat outside on a broken wall. Something was strange about these monsters… Something was off about them. She hopped down off the wall and made her way to where Toriel and Asgore stood awaiting the Patrol's report. Their faces bore an odd expression, one of concern.

"Mom?" Frisk smiled and returned the hug Toriel wrapped her in, "Is everything okay?"

She nodded, "Yes, My Child. We received word that our guard has discovered several monsters claiming to be human. Those must be the ones. I am not sure if it is true. I have spoken with Gaster and he has told me it could be possible for some humans to have been… transformed? By the magic from the core. Those remains," she shuddered as they both recalled the contorted skeletons, "It seems that not all of those creatures became like your friend, Drarey. If this is true then they are surely terrified and it is our duty to welcome them to safety… If they choose to be peaceful."

'That sounds horrible.' Chara sighed, 'To wake up in a body so different from the one you had… I hope they'll be okay.'

Frisk relayed Chara's words and Asgore replied, "It is a terrible thing, indeed. All we can do is offer what we can and hope that these beings do not wish for conflict."

"Monsters, Asgore…" Toriel corrected him dryly, "They are just like us now, according to Gaster."

Frisk waited with them as the group approached. Some of the new monsters were whispering amongst themselves while others were sobbing into their claws. Undyne arrived first and headed towards them.

"We've got eight of them saying they're human." She informed them. "They don't seem to wanna fight so I told them we might help them if they don't do anything stupid." she looked back over to the huddled group and motioned them to come closer. "Most of them look pretty young, I think they were in one of the human schools but it was pretty blasted up."

"Thank you for bringing them to us, Undyne. I am sure they are most grateful." Replied Toriel, spreading her arms in a welcoming gesture to the new monsters.

Frisk watched as the group slowly looked between one another before coming closer. She was amazed to see most of them were indeed pretty young, probably not much older then her! She listened as Toriel and Asgore spoke to them, welcoming them and asking a few questions. It seemed they had all taken shelter in one of the human schools with their teachers when conflict started. Her marrow ran cold when they revealed that while they had managed to survive, although changed, the adults hadn't been so fortunate.

'Those poor kids!' Chara's sympathy for them joined hers. 'They saw their teachers like that… oh my god. Frisk, we should do something for them.'

"Yeah… But I think they need to stay with Mom and Asgore for a while first. They've got to be so scared…" she sighed as she remembered waking up and finding herself in a new monster body. It had been pretty scary.

She turned away and made her way over to where Papyrus and Tonnis were talking. They both smiled at her. "Did you find any other Amalgamates?" she asked.

"No," Tonnis bowed his head, "Just more corpses. But, at least we were able to find those kids! If they're alive then that means there's probably more survivors!"

"Nyeh… But, why are they monsters? It's so strange…" Papyrus looked over to where the children were listening to Undyne inform them of the settlement rules with anxious expressions.

"Mom said Dad told her the core magic could have changed them. Maybe… Maybe only kids can survive for some reason? They said the adults with them were killed…" she shuddered, "They had to see them like that… It's awful."

A rustle behind them made them turn to see Sans crouched behind a broken stack of bricks. He grinned up at them.

"Sans? Are you well enough to be outside?" Papyrus knelt down to him and wrapped his arm around his brothers small frame.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Paps." He whispered, "So…" he looked over at the new group, "They were humans, huh…? I… I think Dad should talk to them… maybe? Yeah, might be a good idea."

"Where is Gaster?" asked Tonnis looking around, "I figured when we sent word of those little guys he would want to meet them."

"Dad's working on his lab." She replied motioning towards a small building in the far corner of the settlement where a few gray beings were hauling machinery they'd just retrieved from the crater.

"I'm gonna go get him." said Sans before he teleported away. To their shock he reappeared in the air a few feet away and fell to the ground clutching his eye.

"Sans!" Papyrus hurried to him, "What's wrong!?"

"Heh, it's nothing… Just still getting used to… Don't worry about it, bro, I'm alright." He grinned but it didn't reach his eyes. "Guess I'm walking."

"I'm coming with you." He looked back at Tonnis and Frisk, "Are you two coming too?"

They nodded and all of them headed towards the lab. Along the way they passed several makeshift tents where monsters waved at them. Many of the monsters that were able to had made their own little shelters for their families. It really was starting to look like a little village. Arrangements were being made to set up proper housing once things were more organized. As they approached the lab a little gray monster reminiscent of Kid wandered out to them.

"Doctor Gaster is working. What do you need?" they spoke in a static laden voice.

"We're here to talk to him, May we come in?" asked Frisk, "Can you tell him it's us, please?"

They nodded and waddled back inside before reappearing a moment later and nodding before stepping aside to let them in.

Inside Gaster was hard at work using his magic to fuse things together on what looked like an examination machine. He turned to them with a serious expression before smiling.

"Oh, I did not know it was you four. Sans, I was meaning to speak with you soon. This," he motioned to the machine, "Will help me examine your soul in greater detail, that is, the half that you posses in this realm."

"Can you bring Alphys back?" asked Sans quietly, looking at his hands.

He frowned, "I do not think that is within my power… she has nothing to anchor her soul too as all of her is in the void… I am sorry, my son. She is beyond help. Though I may be able to make it so you can still communicate with her after your soul is repaired. I will have to see how things go."

"Dad, when do you think you'll be able to try?" asked Frisk.

"There is still much to do. However I am optimistic about it. It should take no longer than a week if everything goes according to plan."

Frisk smiled and started to reply when a weird sound from Sans made them all look to see him curled up in a ball. She knelt down and gently brushed his skull with her hand but flinched when he leapt back, his eyes aglow.

"Sans…? Sans, it's alright, it's me." She backed up, unsure of what to do.

"I… Alphys… I…" Sans was hyperventelating and looking around wildly before he grabbed his skull. "Alph.. alphys n-n-needs to come back! I-I… No!" his magic glowed around him as his panic attack worsened. 

She hurried forward despite a warning from Gaster and wrapped her arms around him. "Sans, it's okay! Look at me, look. See? It's alright. Just breath."

It was to no avail, he seemed lost in his inner nightmares and his magic was trying to force her away. But she refused. She wouldn't let him do this to himself, there had to be something she could do to help him!

"Gone… dead… trapped…" he gasped for air as he shook violently, "N-not again…"

"Gaster, isn't there anything we can do?" pleaded Papyrus, "He's suffering!"

"Sans, shh… It's alright, big brother." cooed Frisk but he only curled up tighter.

'He's lost in his own mind.' said Chara, 'There's nothing we can do but make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.'

"There has to be something!" Frisk replied mentally to her, "Something to calm him down."

'He's lost in his memories… I can sense it. It's like a nightmare only you can't wake up because it really happened. You would have to find a way to- watch out!'

Sans tried to teleport away in his panic and Frisk was jerked with him, hitting the hard ground and being knocked away by the impact.

"Oh! Oh god, F-frisk! N-no, kid, I-!" he couldn't focus and curled up again. "N-not you too, n-no, no more.. please, kid…"

'Oh… Frisk, remember what he said before? I… I think he's remembering the past! That's not good! Think, what's something good he can remember?'

"I-I don't know!" she felt tears form in her sockets. she looked back at the building where Gaster, Tonnis, and Papyrus were hurrying from, "Sans, it's alright!" 

'I have an idea…'

Chara shared her idea and Frisk felt guilt tremble in her bones… but it was worth a shot!

"Dad…? It's okay. I'm here…" She reached out to him cautiously.

"H-huh…?" Sans' tremors softened and the glow dimmed. "Kid…? You…"

"I'm okay, Dad. Everyone's okay, see? We're safe and you don't have to be alone." She cupped his cheek in her hand as red tears fell from his sockets.

"Frisk… Kid…" he smiled and clung to her. "I thought I'd lost you!"

"Shh, it was just a dream, only a nightmare, okay?"

'He doesn’t see you as a sister. I don't think he ever did…' said Chara, 'you calling him dad, like you once did? I think it's a good way to calm him down. That was a happy timeline.'

"I… don't remember it." she sighed, guilt crawling through her marrow.

"Sans, Frisk?! Are you two okay?" Papyrus was by their side with Gaster and Tonnis right behind him.

"Yeah," Said Sans, to their surprise his voice wasn't a hushed whisper, it was his old one. "We're alright, bro. Just had a little nightmare. Heh, guess I got a little spooked." he looked over as Frisk with an odd expression before he helped her up and pulled her into a hug. "Kid…? Why did you call me, dad?" he whispered.

"You were once… remember?" She tried to ignore the gnawing guilt that she couldn't remember herself.

He pulled back and grinned, "Thanks, Frisk… I needed that." he looked back at the others, "I think I'm gonna catch some Zs. Frisk, mind coming with?" he looked up at her.

"Are you sure you're okay, my son?" Gaster eyed him, worried.

"Yeah, just need a rest. We'll be fine." He took Frisks hand as she nodded. "Catch you guys later."

As they started off the three remaining skeletons looked at one another.

"Did she call him, Dad? I could've sworn I heard her say that and it calmed him down… What's that about, aren't you her Dad?" Tonnis asked Gaster.

Gaster thought for a moment then bowed his head. "Perhaps it's for the best she uses that title to calm him… After all, he earned that name first. Though, Frisk has yet to remember that timeline… I pray he does not regress when he discovers that fact…"

"Should I follow them?" Asked Papyrus taking a step before Gaster halted him with a hand on his shoulder.

"No." replied Gaster, "I think they both need this."


	12. Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reason frisk started killin is revealed.

Once back at Grillby's shelter, the two of them sat on one of the couches. Frisk tried not too look him in the eyes, guilt prickled in her bones. He watched her with a smile but then his face fell after moment and he sighed.

"Kid… I never really asked but I gotta know… what happened back then? You just reset one day and came back a… you weren’t the same sweet kid. I mean… That's not you, that human. But…"

"Sa-… I know I once called you my Dad… But I don't remember, Sans.." she admitted, bowing her head.

He was silent for a moment then, "Yeah, I figured… You only remember parts of that human's time, huh? Well…" he looked at his claws and fidgeted.

'I remember, Frisk.' said Chara. 'I.. could share those memories with you if you'd like. Although," she sighed, 'You might not want me to.'

"I want to remember. If we were that close once then I want to know everything." said Frisk. She echoed the words out loud and added, "Chara said she can help me."

"It'd be nice to think on, I guess." said Sans. "We really had some fun back then. You were.. I mean, they were a really good kid."

"Sans… Don't lie to yourself, let alone me… We both know I was that human… I can't forgive what I did… I can't," she felt tears prick her eyes as the memories began to trickle in, "I… Oh my god… Sans." she clung to him making him squeak in surprise before he relaxed and returned the embrace.

"Shh, it's alright, Frisk… We've all done things we'll never forgive ourselves for… Maybe you remember why though? Is Chara showing you?" he watched her cautiously, "I'm here, kid… I forgave you a long time ago, you're different now. Just try to remember the good times, yeah?" he leaned against her and chuckled, "Trust me, I've had a lot of bad times… but we've gotta find something to keep hold of, huh?"

"Thank you, Sans." she smiled. The memories continued to run through her mind as they sat in silence. She saw these memories and warmth filled her. What had ever happened to end this timeline? Why did she…? A cold chill shivered in her spine as she realized something, this was the last timeline before she started… killing.

+++++++++++++

"Do not be afraid, my child" said Toriel holding out her hand to the shivering, crying human child, "I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. I will take care you, please do not cry. Are you hurt?"

Toriel, her mom had found her just after falling. Just after she has seen her parents- …

Toriel had taken her in and they had stayed together for a time but… Well, Frisk was used to being a waste of space. Or at least she had been called such by her father while her mother had done nothing. She never felt comfortable with Toriel, she was too nice! There… had to be a catch. She didn't deserve to be here… Toriel didn't deserve to have to keep her around.

She decided to ask to leave. She couldn't bare to be a burden on this poor old woman. But Toriel changed. Fear had filled Frisk as Toriel had challenged her to a fight. To prove she was strong enough to survive. Why didn't she understand Frisk was only a waste? She couldn't.. But, Toriel had been so nice! And now she wanted to… hurt her… No! Enough was enough! She would get away.

That was the first time she had died. A Fireball had struck her very soul and it had shattered to pieces. The pain had been excruciating! But then there was a dull silence. She had awoken upon the golden flowers she had landed on when she fell. She had reset!

Trembling in fear she had tried to sneak into the house and down the stairs towards the door that blocked the rest of the underground. She had to find a way to get through! … but why? Why should she even move? A small presence she had thought to be her own mind, but now realized it had been Chara had urged her forward, promising happiness if she were to continue.

This time she managed to beg Toriel to submit. It took some doing but she was at last allowed to pass… But that was the second time she died. It wasn't a monster this time, it was a careless slip into the icy abyss along a path in Snowdin Forest… She could remember a voice calling out in surprise, it had been Sans! But then she woke up in the flowers once again, all the way back in the ruins.

This time she never made it to the door. A small monster with a huge eye whined at her not to pick on them but before she could talk to them their attack caught her and once more she saw flowers…

Eventually she again made it to Snowdin forest where she met Sans for the first time. She remembered it and chuckled to herself. He had tricked her into shaking his hand with a whoopee cousin in it. She had been so scared of him and it had caught her off guard so much she had roared with laughter. 

They had run into Papyrus… but his size… Frisk had been so scared of his stature and his loud voice she had cried and clung to Sans. She fell asleep from exhaustion and later awakened in the brother's house. They took her in and cared for her… They were her family. papyrus was out more than Sans who was always shirking sentry duty to nap. They spent a lot of time together, telling jokes and talking about life. Frisk was so happy to have people who cared about her. It had been the first time she really felt like she meant anything.

One day she slipped… It had been an absentminded wish.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Heh, what was that, kiddo?" Sans had looked up from bandaging a scrape she had gottrn from a slip.

Her cheeks flushed red and she sputtered, shaking her head, "I-I- Nothing, sorry!" she smiled with no heart behind it, "Thanks Sans…"

He had studied her for a moment then had sat beside her, "Sorry for what?" She looked at him as a loss for words. "Baby Bones, you don't have anything to apologize for. I know you ain't had the best time. If… If it makes you feel better to look at me that way then you go right ahead, alright?" he had chuckled to himself, "Heh, Paps will be ecstatic if I take responsibility for you like that. I… Yeah, I guess what I'm saying is we can be family. You don't seem like you had a good one back there, huh?"

She had fallen silent and he shrugged and ruffled her hair, "C'mon kiddo. Dad'll make you some cocoa."

From then on they had been a small family. Sans, her dad and Papyrus, they had been happy…

But one day it all came crashing down. She had been chasing the little white dog that loved stealing from Papyrus so she could retrieve the nor surely ruined spaghetti. She had almost caught up with it when a vibrant blue spear slung forth and buried itself in the ground right next to her.

"Seven…" that voice had been… Undyne! "Seven human souls and we will be free… Die, human."

She had dodged the first volley and ran as fast as she could, she had wound up in a place she had never been to, it was dark and damp. She was lost! Surely her dad could come save her!

She cried for help… but nobody came…

+++

"Frisk?" Sans mismatched eye sockets locked with hers and she shook her head with a groan.

"…I remember why." She said quietly. Tears ran down her face, "I remember why I turned… I…" she covered her face in her hands. "Oh Dad… I'm so sorry…"

Sans watched her with a sad smile, thinking of what he could say. After a moment he reached up and put his hand on her skull. "Hey… Don't cry, Baby Bones… Dad's still here for you…"

She clung to his small form and cried like the child she still was despite her mature body. She cried for the past… and cried for the present, even after everything things just kept getting worse.

"Shh, there, there, kiddo…" Sans said softly as he stroked her skull, "Thing's aren't all bad. We've still got each other and we've still got our family. We'll be alright."

"I'm so scared…" she sniffled.

"Me too, Frisk… Me too."


	13. Aydin

Her baby was missing… Someone was going to die!  
Undyne was frantically looking through the shelter she had made for herself. Sure, the little guy had grown fast these past few weeks, monster children could walk at an early age and grew faster than humans, but he couldn't have gotten out on his own! Someone had to have taken him. Whoever had the gall would soon meet the end of her spear.

Crying in frustration she burst out of the shelter, her spear in her hand and began making her way through the camp, questioning any monster she saw, banging on doors of the shelters she knew were occupied… No one had seen the little toddler.  
\---

"Dad?" Frisk was in the doorway of the shelter, "I'm.. I'm going to go see how things are going at the lab, ok?"

Sans looked up at her momentarily confused before nodding, if the kid wanted to Call him that again then he wasn't complaining… It made him feel better. She'd taken to using the title ever since their talk but it still caught him off guard. Memories from better times would drift through his mind's eye.

"Yeah, sure Frisk. Take your time, I'll stick here and be a lazy bones if you don't mind." he yawned and the dim light peeking through from outside told him it was early morning. "Paps and Tonnis already out?"

She nodded, "Yeah, they went to Mom to see if anything needed done. I'll see if I can get Wosua to clean some of our things while I'm out, okay? Er, want me to get your coat done?"

He nodded and eased himself out of the dusty garment before handing it to her when she walked over and grinning wider as she wrapped him in a hug which he returned before she left with, "I'll see you later, Dad, take it easy, ok?"

Once she was gone he stretched and grunted as his vertebra popped. Looks like another quiet day. He yawned again and shuffled out of bed to the pantry. Finding what he was after, a bottle of ketchup, he returned to bed and sipped at it while he listened to the wind outside. A distant thunder rumbles and he frowned. Hopefully the work they had done on the roof would keep the rain outside this time.

He snuggled into the covers and sighed. The weather had been turning colder, winter was probably soon. He wasn't one to really keep track of it, living on Mt. Ebott, there had always been snow. Eesh… A pang of loss itched at his bones at the memory of his home now lost to the core's explosion.

So much had happened since they surfaced… Heh, there were still days he would wake up expecting to be back behind the barrier. But, nightmares had always plagued him. Nightmares of Gaster, nightmares of past timelines… Which another thought occurred to him at that. Resets… Could Frisk even reset anymore? He absentmindedly fingered his busted socket. If… if Frisk reset would it heal him? I mean… it would put them all back behind the barrier but… He sighed. No, no he wouldn't mention that to Frisk… The poor kid had gone through a lot in their life and hell, that's just what they were, a little kid! Well, not little anymore really but… He wondered just how old Frisk even was.

Lost in thought he didn't hear the small hands turn the handle of the door. He didn't notice the little toddler slump down on all furs and crawl into their shelter. It wasn't until the smell of rain and a cold chill alerted him to the open door.

"Huh… Hey, someone home?" he asked. After no response came his eyes narrowed and he quietly slid out of bed and made his way over to close the door. As the latch clicker a shuffling behind him made him jump and turn around quickly to face the noise. Nothing seemed out of place but there was definatly another being in here with him. "Alrighty, normally I'm a humorous guy but no kidding around. Who's in here?" he asked again.

A stack of papers fell from the table near by making his eye light up red. He looked around and the small flash of a soul caught his eye and without hesitation he locked the soul with his magic and caused Undyne's little boy to float up in the air with a surprised squeak.

"Nee!"

"Oh shit-" Sand quickly grabbed the child and held him carefully as they whimpered and stared up at him with big, yellow eyes. "Geeze, kiddo, you gave me a fright!"

The toddler blinked and was silent for a moment before they giggled and tried to grab at his face, wriggling happily. He chuckled, the kid was pretty cute after all. He took the little guy over to the bed and set him in the soft covers which he rolled around in, burbling and giggling happily.

"Where's your Mom, little guy? She's gotta be worried sick about you…" Sans shuddered, the last thing he wanted was another confrontation with Undyne.

The child looked up at him, "Mama!" he chirped.

"Yeah, where's your Mama?" He didn't know how much the kid knew about talking but it was worth a shot. What he didn't expect was the reply.

"Da~!" the boy looked at him with outstretched arms.

"O-oh no, heh, you got it all wrong kid." he grinned wider, that was adorable but…

"Da!"

Oh boy… This was awkward… Poor kid must have heard Frisk call him Dad. Well, how was thing gonna go? He shook his head and chuckled. As cute as the little guy was he still wanted to get him back to Undyne before anything bad happened. If She was looking for him then god help the monsters that got in her way. He picked up the boy who clung to him tightly with another chirp of "Da!"

"Alright, kiddo, let's get you all bundled up and I'll take you to…" he yawned, right… his nightmares had kept him from sleeping too well. Oh well, he's catch some more Zs later. "I'll get you home, sound good?" Gibberish and laughter was the reply and he chuckled, "That's the plan then."

The boy yawned, exposing his teeth that has started to come in sharper, his buck teeth so reminiscent of Alphys… A dizziness made him lurch and surprise trembled through him. Oh no… Now wasn't the time to have one of his episodes! He shook his head to clear it and crawled up next to the kid. Maybe a quick rest would help…

He dozed lightly, making sure the kid would be alright. And that was certain because the only place he went was onto Sans' stomach and played with his face, giggling when Sans blew on his hands when the little hands covered his mouth. Heh… Frisk used to do something like this. She would cover his nose hole to try to wake him up when he was only pretending to get a laugh out of her… Good times.

Suddenly the door burst open causing Sans to instinctively wrap his arms around the boy and look up, his eye blazing red. He immediately tensed up as Undyne stood there glaring at him.

"Give him back you son of a bitch!" She snarled, a blue spear at ready in her hands.

"Un-Undyne, I can explain!" he stammered.

"Are you trying to take him too? Like you took Alphys from me?! I don't give a shit if you are insane, I'll tare you apart!!"

The little boy cried at the sound of his mother's menacing tone. Tears shined in those yellow eyes and Sans held him close, "Shh, no, I-it's okay, Aydin. It's-"

"What?!" Sans jerked his head to look and see Undyne over them in a flash, "… What did you call him?" Her expression was cold but something stirred within her eye. Was it shock? Remembrance? "Where did you hear that name, Sans?" She demanded.

\---

"So, let's say we do the whole 'parenting thing'" Undyne laughed as she and Alphys laid in bed face to face. "What about a name, huh?" she grinned toothily, "NOT MewMew that's for sure!"

Alphys giggle snorted and shook her head, blushing, "N-no! I-I would n-never…!"

"Hah! Yeah right, nerd." she chuckled before planting a kiss on the little lizards forehead. "But seriously, let's say we do have a little runt… What about hmm… Well my Dad was Aymoire.. but that's so old-fasioned! And if it's a girl.. hmm…" she scratched her head.

"M-my mother's name w-was Dina, m-maybe something l-like Din o-or Mordred? J-just using l-letters from t-those names… I-I-I mean if you want t-to name them after o-our parents!" she blushed in embarrassment, "I-I know… I'm a n-nerd…"

"Hey! It's not a bad idea, Alphys." she said smiling and stroking her mate's head, "Hmm.. well, if we're going to do it that way then why not-"

\---

"Aydin…" Undyne whispered her son's name before her eye narrowed, "Sans… How?"

"Alphys…" Sans had managed to sooth Aydin's crying and looked up at Undyne sadly, "She told me… I-I asked her about it the last time I was in the void with her."

"What are you talking about?"

Sans sighed, "Look, Undyne… I know you don't trust me but… When I was hit by the explosion it blasted part of my soul to the void. Alphys… Alphys is in the void too."

"She's alive?!"

He shrugged, "She's like Gaster had been. Alive maybe, but not able to come back here… Listen, I… I didn't mean to kill her." he winced as Undyne's knuckles popped from her balled fist. "Yeah, I was telling the truth… She attacked Paps and I… I couldn't stop myself. But It wasn't her fault… That soul? It's gone.. I guess it was destroyed or something cause it's not with her anymore."

"You're saying you can talk to her?" Undyne's tone was uneasy, as if she were deciding whether to be angry or to trust him. "… There's no way you could know his name…" she looked down at little Aydin as he looked up at her with teary eyes and squeaked, "Mama..."

"I can talk to her, yeah… But only when I'm in the void… And, Undyne that ain't something I can do until Dad fixes me." He was hopeful that she would believe him and they could diffuse this. He never wanted Undyne as an enemy, even through her crass and boisterous belligerence she had been something of a friend to him.

"I… It's so hard to believe you… But there's no way you could know…" She sighed and sat next to him, running a webbed hand through her bangs. "Is… Is she alright?" she asked as she held out her arms to take Aydin who was making a 'gimmie' gesture at her.

Sans handed over the boy as he nodded, "She's alright. But… I don't know if we can get her back from there. I mean, Gaster came back but something tells me that had more to do with Frisk's determination than magic." He looked up as thunder boomed and after a nod from Undyne he got up and did his best to secure the door with the now broken latch against the oncoming rain. As he made his way back he noticed tears in the warriors good eye. "Undyne…?"

"Did you hear that, Aydin? … Y-your other Mama knows you're here… Sh… She's gotta be really proud of you, you tough little thing…" She looked up at Sans, "If you talk to her again soon… tell her I love her, okay? .. Tell-" she sniffled and was seeming lost for words in her emotion.

He settled next to the mother and child and put a cautious hand on her arm, "If I can help it you'll tell her face to face… Gaster's gotta be able to find a way to get her back… I'm just.. I'm sorry, Undyne… I messed up bad."

"You were protecting Papyrus, yeah?" She smiled tearfully, "I…would have done the same thing… I… It's okay, Sans… Thank you. T-thank you for telling me." She wiped her eye and a determined expression took the place of sorrow, "Alright then, let's go see Doctor Gaster and get my fiancé back!"

At her positive tone, Aydin's eyes sparkled and he clapped his hands. She snuggled him close and grinned toothily, "We'll get your other mama back, Aydin!"

Sans nodded but he shivered, it wasn't the cold air… something told him things would never be simple in this timeline… But he could hope right? … There was hope… right?


	14. Fissure

"Hand that here" Gaster pointed to a tool on a nearby table which the smallest of his assistants handed over. "Thank you. Now, monitor the output and tell me if there's any increase from the last test." He looked over to another assistant, a cat-like one, "You there, make sure the re-calibrations hold. I don't need the new buffers coming lose."

Frisk watched from her seat against the wall of the makeshift lab. Well, makeshift was inaccurate. Gaster and his assistants had managed to scrap every spare bit of metal and electronic wreckage they could and the place didn't look half bad. It reminded her a little of the True Lab back when Alphys had revealed her Amalgamates to them. Though it wasn't nearly as dank and dreary.

She tilted her head as the machine Gaster was building hummed to life. Magical energy and electrical pulses whirred through the structure and a soft glow emanated from a globe of glass positioned atop the structure as rings spun around it. He was trying to use the same kind of system the Core was based on but without magma to provide power it had to depend on the magical fallout left behind from the explosion. He's tested the generator before but… well, at least the wall had been repaired pretty solidly.

"What's the output?" asked Gaster over the hum.

"Rising from three million joules and counting, Dr. Gaster!"

"Good. Watch the containment integrity. Let me know if it remains stable." he glanced back at Frisk. "Er… Do you really want to remain here for this test? It might not be safe if the containment field is breached."

"I'm not worried." She said with a smile. "You're brilliant, it'll work this time I can feel it."

He smiled, "Your confidence in me hopefully won't be unfounded. Regardless, you might want to go check on Sans as it is."

"He was fine this morning, Dad. But I get the hint." she grinned, "It'll be fine." she got up and headed towards the door when a loud, piercing crack sounded. 

A large rupture had burst in the side of the globe which was flashing a dull red. Working quickly, Gaster managed to turn the structure off which sputtered into silence. She hurried over to him, concerned.

"I told you to monitor the integrity!" He roared at the cat monster who flinched.

"I-I'm sorry doctor, it was stable! I-I don't know what happened!"

"It's okay, at least it didn't explode this time." Said Frisk putting her hand on Gaster's shoulder.

"That's not the point." he groaned with a hand on his face. "If the containment globe is not strong enough then we've no alternative. That is the strongest material we can get to from the Core."

"Do you need us to clear out more rubble? So that you can get to the better stuff?"

He shook his head, "No, it is not that…" he sighed, "The closer we get to the original core the more magical interference from the irradiated cavern becomes dangerous… It's not safe to go further in." he turned to her and smiled sadly, "It seems I am not quite as brilliant as you hoped, Frisk… But I will try something else." he looked over the machine. "Restoring power would skyrocket our redevelopment of the surface… But if the power cannot be contained then…"

Frisk shrugged, wishing she could offer any suggestions… She wasn't very privy to the ways of science, especially not when crossed with magic.

"Looks like that globe was already cracked." 

Sans' voice came from the entrance where he, Undyne, and to Frisk's joy, the baby entered. Though unease prickled through her bones. Undyne… She was with Sans but… What happened?

"Hm?" Gaster looked over at him. "Impossible. I was very through in ensuring the internal and external pressures were stable and no flaws were present."

"Look" he pointed a clawed finger as the remains of the globe. See that fissure? That wasn't caused by the overload. Looks like you missed a spot." He shrugged, "Try using a different medium, carbon glass might be a good-"

"Gaster, Sans said you can get Alphys back for me!" Undyne spoke over their discussion. "Can you?!"

"…What?"

"I told her about Alphys… Made any progress on figuring out how to get me whole again?" Asked Sans.

"I have theories, yes. But nothing concrete yet." replied Gaster.

"Aw, c'mon! You're doctor science master!" Undyne insisted, "If anyone can do it you can!"

"I have little doubt it's possible, yes." Said Gaster pinching his nasal ridge, "But the problem is I need more sophisticated tools then currently at my disposal. If you give me a few months I may be able to-"

"MONTHS?!" screeched Undyne, her fins flared, "That long?!"

"Undyne!" Frisk snapped, "He's doing his best!" She stood her ground and the two of them stared at each other for a few moments before a squeak from the toddler made Undyne relax and rock him gently. "Shh, there there, Aydin."

"Aydin?" Frisk repeated? "Aw, that's a really nice name!"

"Uh, thanks." Undyne grinned toothily. Me and Alphys came up with it a while ago. Ngah! Are you sure it'll take that long?"

"Undyne, listen to me closely." Gaster walked over, "Even if I'm able to retrieve the other half of Sans' soul from the void there's no guarantee the connection I make will be stable enough to remove and entire other soul. But-" he held up a hand to stop Undyne from retorting, "I will do everything I can to retrieve Alphys. However, I will not make you any promises. Do you understand?"

Undyne surveyed him with a yellow leer but nodded, her fins drooping. "Just… Try, ok? I… I just want her back."

"I understand." nodded Gaster before turning to Sans, "How are you feeling by the way, Sans?"

"Well… the eye's getting worse." he said quietly. He turned his head and Undyne gasped.

"That wasn't that bad back at your place!" she exclaimed. "Y-you're not dying are you?!"

"Dai" Chirped Aydin, oblivious.

Sans Shrugged and looked over at Gaster, "Guess it's a good thing we're at the Doctors, huh? Mind giving me a check up?" he grinned wider but Frisk winced as she could hear the almost silent crackle of bone sliding over damaged bone.

Gaster sighed then nodded. "I was hoping to avoid testing this so soon but it seems we might be more limited on time than I estimated." he walked into the back area and brought out a very odd looking machine. Frisk knew just by looking at the skull-like structure what this replica was based off of…

"You made another one?" Sans walked over to it the small DT examination machine. "Uh… How would this help me?"

"It can extract more than determination. This is a modified, superior version of the one that was destroyed in the explosion… If my theory is correct it can also expel energy."

"Ugh, science stuff… You nerds enjoy. I'm taking Aydin home." Grumbled Undyne before heading out the door. "Thanks, Sans…" she looked over at him for a moment before closing the door behind her.

"So… what good does expelling energy do us- oh hell friggin' no, Gaster!" he looked up at him with eye socket wide, "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking are you?!"

"What? What is it, Sans?" asked Frisk concerned.

"I'm going to try to use an expulsion of concentrated core energy that I can gather from the prototype and tare a temporary hole in the plane." declared Gaster.


	15. Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an opening for my readers to decide the course of the rest of the story. They chose not to RESET  
> ___________________________

"Does it still hurt, sugar skull?" Mettaton worried over a sitting Papyrus as the skeleton nursed his leg where he had tripped and strained it. "I can go see if there's someone handy to heal you if you'd like?"

"N-no, I'm alright, Mettaton." replied Papyrus. "I just felt… dizzy all of a sudden." He held his head with a frown.

"What's wrong?" Mettaton snuggle against his lover and sighed, "You've been having these spells ever since we got here. Maybe go see Gaster about them, darling?"

"Maybe I should." he looked back towards the monster settlement almost shrouded in the fog of rain that had started picking up, "But I don't want to worry them. I feel fine most of the time! It's… It's probably nothing."

"Papyrus…" Mettaton forced the skeleton to look him in the eyes, "I'm worried about you. Something isn't right. Look, you see what happened to Sans. What if the core energy is effecting you too?" he looked sadly at the remaining bit of the skeleton's arm where core debris had slammed into him, taking his arm and Sans away. 

"I…" Papyrus looked at his broken arm and sighed. "You win, Mettaton. I'll go speak to Gaster…" He got up with a groan and took a few steps before stopping as another wave of vertigo almost took him to his knees. "But Sans… He's worse off than me. I-I have to be strong and not let them worry."

"You are strong, Sugar skull." Said Mettaton watching carefully should Papyrus fall again. "Let someone worry about you, okay? Now, let's take it slowly…" 

+++

"No friggin way." insisted Sans crossing his arms, "You're not gonna use that thing here." He glared at Gaster as his father looked back at him with a cold interest.

"And why not?" he asked, "If my calculations are correct the tare will be small, only enough to reunite your soul with it's other half which should be drawn to you naturally."

"You've been wrong before." Sans growled, "If that goes wrong you could destroy the timeline."

"Which is why," Gaster turned to Frisk, "I will use Frisk to ensure that does not happen."

Frisk looked at him, surprised, "Me? What do you mean, Dad?"

"Your Save ability. The mark should be around this time if not presently." replied Gaster, "If things go wrong your ability should enable you to revert the timeline to now or within a few minutes if now, before or after. That way you can return and warn me of the outcome. Then I will simply try another calibration until the numbers are correct."

"That's insane!" Sans stomped his foot, "What if she can't do it? Or worse, what if she Resets!!"

"Reset…?" Frisk hugged herself as a tremble of fear at the thought wracked her bones.

'That could happen..' Chara tried to calm her from inside, 'But… If we're both aware then we could probably manage a load and not a reset… maybe his idea's not that bad?' she suggested.

"There's no way I'm gonna let you do it, Gaster… You don't know what could happen." Sans stood in front of Frisk and pointed at the machine, "Destroy that damn thing."

"No." Gaster glared coldly at him before looking to Frisk, "It is not up to you. As a scientist and your father I will do whatever I can to fix you, Sans… However. As this depends on Frisk's ability I will leave the choice to her. Frisk, what would you wish to happen?"

Frisk looked at the ground as she and Chara thought it over. If things went wrong then everything would depend on them… What if they did reset? This world… everyone memories… would they really all be gone?

'I will still be with you.' assured Chara, 'We're one now, we both remember timelines. Even if we were to reset then would it be so bad…? We could stop this entire thing from happening! Think about it Frisk! We could find a way to do things differently…'

"But… Dad would be back in the void and… and No one would remember me but Sans…"

'Wouldn't a life behind the barrier with a Dad that loves you in a place of peace be better than this…? We could break the barrier and be more careful about coming to the surface!'

Frisk's heart longed for peace… For a world that was whole again but not at the cost of the memories of everyone.. and not to mention, "Aydin." She shook her head, "No, Chara if we reset it would erase Aydin from existence. I won't do that!"

'…Frisk, Aydin's only known world is this hell… wouldn't it be kind to allow the opportunity for him to be born in a world other than this?'

"I won't risk it…" She declared.

Chara's understanding resonated and she sighed, 'Then I will do my best to help you avoid a total Reset. Tell him we'll do it.'

"Frisk…?" Sans looked back at her concerned, "…W-well what'll it be, kiddo?"

She nodded, "I want him to try, Dad." she directed the title to Sans this time before looking at Gaster, "We should do it. You… You can count on me."

"Frisk…" Sans turned away with a defeated expression and shoved his hands in his pockets before stepping aside. "…If that's what you want, Baby Bones, you have my trust… Just be careful, okay?"

Frisk nodded and came forward where Gaster stood. "If this work then can we bring Alphys back too?" she asked him.

"I am not sure of that." Replied Gaster, "But I will try to retrieve her as well."

"Then… let's do this." Frisk nodded.

Gaster nodded and turned to a console where he began working with the settings of the machine. Moments of dead silence passed before he looked over, "It is done. Once I flip the switch the process will initialize. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Said Frisk.

The second the switch was flipped a rush of energy blasted through the air as the machine hummed to life. They all watched and braced themselves as a sphere of energy formed around the front of the machine and the air before it began to distort like an illusion in a heat wave.

"5." Gaster counted as the wind became harsher, "4… 3… 2…"

"I love you all…" Said Frisk as Gaster's voice stated the final digit and the machine fired.

The resulting vortex of magic distorted the waves into a blinding flash as all sound was deafened and the world became hidden in the light. Frisk felt energy rush through her from every side. it felt like her very molecules were being hammered by an unrelenting torrent of force! "C-Chara!" cha called.

'Something's wrong!! The machine, I-it… Frisk, brace yourself!' Frisk felt Chara shield them with magic but it server only to worsen the pain. 'This isn't good! Frisk, we've got to do something!'

"I-I can't move!!" 

'I'll do it, you just have to decide.' replied Chara as the light faded and the pain vanished.

Frisk looked around but there was nothing. "Are we in the void…?"

'Not the one you're familiar with, no….' Chara sighed. 'We have to try to load, Frisk.'

"Everyone are they…?" she gasped as fear gripped her.

'right not the timeline is at a turning point. Things can go either way. This void is the space between. Our friends are safe but if the machine continues then I'm not sure what'll happen… We have to load and try to fix this.'

"A-alright.." Frisk tried to calm herself as she closed her eyes. not that it made a difference here, there was nothing to see. "I'm ready…"

'Then let's do this together.' Chara's energy flowed through them, 'But… At this point I… I can't guarantee that a Reset won't happen… I'm sorry, Frisk.'

Tears streamed down her cheekbones as Frisk nodded, "We have to try…"

Their power and determination coursed through the air as the magic began to form and manipulate the very fabric of the timeline. Frisk's bones tensed as she willed the world to return. Dread clawed her soul, would the load work? …Would… would there be a reset instead…? As their magic peaked a bright light overtook them and time began to change.


	16. Fall to pieces

The ground was soft… Solid, yes.. But was it the softness of golden flowers? The scent of golden flower wafted to her nose and her heart sank. "Chara… Did we…?"

"Hey, kiddo you awake yet?"

"Sans…?" She opened her eyes and her vision was blurry. Groggy, she sat up and rubbed her sockets sleepily.

"Heh, I… I was beginning to think you'd gone and started hibernating over there." Sans' voice was weak and he sounded exhausted.

She looked over to see him sitting up on a bed, much like the one she was carefully tucked into. "Sans, what-" he put his finger to his mouth before nodding to a third bed where Papyrus and Mettaton were sound asleep. She tilted her head, confused. Softly she asked, "What happened?"

"A lot of stuff." he shrugged, "A bad time all around… You see, that machine did open a tare to the void but well… seeing as I'm already halfway there it messed with me and Paps real bad. Papyrus and I are connected since we, uh, well we're brothers and all. So, they found him out in the wastes about to get eaten by one of those… things." he sighed and looked at his hands, "We lost a few people to it…"

"That's horrible!" she trembled with dread wondering how long it would be until one of the Amalgamates managed to break into the city. Chara tried to comfort her and she shook her head to try and calm down. Again the small of golden flowers reached her and she looked around to find a cup of tea sitting on the bedside table near her. She picked it up and found the liquid still warm, "Is Mom here…?"

He nodded, "She's taking care of Gaster." He shifted and scratched at his broken socket. To her horror a couple pieces of bone came lose and fell to the sheets. "Whoops… Don't mean to fall to pieces on ya…"

"Dad, what's happening to you?" she gasped and then almost screamed when he turned his face fully towards her. The break had almost taken over half his skull, it was nowhere near that bad before the load!

"It's the void." he replied sadly, "Something about being so close to the tare… well, this is what it did. Dad's not much better."

Frisk opened her mouth to respond but the door to the room opened and she looked to see the small, fluffy form of Asriel staring wide-eyes as if she were a ghost. "Frisk, you're awake! Oh-" he covered his mouth as Papyrus stretched in his sleep. "Sorry… But I'm so glad your awake! I was so worried."

"Hi As," She smiled, "Is everyone ok?"

He nodded and looked behind him as a soft voice asked something before he nodded to the owner and hurried in followed by a very concerned looking Toriel.

"My child, I feared you would not wake!" cried Toriel, tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around frisk in a big hug. "Are you feeling well? Do you need anything?"

"I feel fine, Mom." she returned the hug tightly as if afraid Toriel would vanish if she let go. "But Sans-"

"Sans is just fine, kiddo." Said Sans from his bed as he cracked his neck, "You concentrate on you getting better, ok?"

Toriel looked over at him and sighed, "Your father is in the next room, he told me to make sure none of you leave this room until he has had a look at you."

"Sure, Tori." Said Sans as he absentmindedly scratched at his socket.

"mmmnyeh…? Sans…" Papyrus yawned as he and a groggy Mettaton stretched and looked over, "Oh, hello your majesty!"

"You ok, bro?" Sand looked his brother up and down with concern.

"I feel fine." replied Papyrus, "But how did I end up here? I was coming back from a patrol but then… everything went fuzzy?"

Mettaton floated over to Sans, "Good god, Darling, your face!" he exclaimed causing Papyrus sockets to widen.

"Sans, what happened to your eye!?"

Sans shrugged and papyrus meant to say more but another voice spoke.

"He is becoming dislodged from this reality…" Gaster weakly managed as he leaned against the door Toriel had left open.

"Doctor Gaster, you should be in bed!" scolded Toriel with a motherly finger pointing. 

"My injuries are no worse than those I have sustained before." He limped to a nearby chair and sat down. "There are matters much worse to attend to."

"Are you alright, Dad? Er…" Frisk looked from Gaster to Sans and then sighed, They were both that to her but it was still going to be confusing.

"I will not be turning to dust anytime soon." he smiled weakly, "But I cannot say the same for Sans…" He held up a shaky hand when Frisk gasped and started to speak, "No, he is not dying." He looked at his older son and sighed, "But you will begin to lost stability if I do not find a solution to your ailment.."

"Meaning?" Sans' hand hadn't left his socket

Gaster thought a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Your presence here and your half of a soul that resides in the void tried to reconnect when the machine went off. Once the void was accessible Frisk's load ability was distorted which caused time to progress without her and drew anything and everything that had been "touched" by it so to speak to it. That is what is causing your deterioration and Papyrus' weakness."

"But the only people here that have even been in the void are you and Frisk." countered Sans.

"Not quite…" he sighed, "Do you remember when you were new-er…young? When I opened a tare to the void during an experiment?"

"That big goopy thing with the skulls?" asked Papyrus to which Gaster nodded, "I didn't like that thing… But then you save us from it!"

"I tried." Said Gaster flatly, "But by bringing that abomination forth I generated void energy which latched on to everything in that room it could find home in. Meaning everything alive, you, your brother, and myself…" he coughed, "Which is why we're all afflicted."

"So, is there a way to stop it or are we all just gonna dust?" asked Sans with a snort, "If I've got an expiration date I wanna know."

"I'm sure there's a way to stop it!" insisted Papyrus as he looked over at Gaster, "…Right?"

"I do not know yet… But Damage to your bodies isn't all that will happen as the affliction grows worse." he looked back to Toriel who was listening with fear in her eyes as Asriel clung to her dress, "We will have to remain here until I can devise a solution. First it's the body that suffers, then it's the mind…"

"So, you're all going to go insane?" asked Mettaton from Papyrus' arm, "That's terrible!"

"Not quite insane, no." Gaster looked over at Sans, "But I'll need Sans put in an isolated location while I research." he shook his head, "Your mind was already affect by the Core, any further damage might cause you to become unstable and do further damage to yourself… or to others."

Sans looked at Gaster as if he's got up and punched him, "No." he said flatly, "Hell no you're not gonna put me in a cage again. You wanna talk about our past? Aside from making us void touched or whatever you did plenty else!" he crossed his arms, "I'm not going back to being a prisoner used for your research… you can bet on that."

Whatever Gaster's response was the would never know as a siren broke the air from the walls of the city. An amalgamate had been spotted within their safe zone! Toriel gasped and hurried from the room with Asriel crying out for someone to alert Undyne and the rest of the guard. When Gaster turned back to continue Sans was gone.

"Idiot!" hissed Gaster, "I am amazed he could teleport outside of a building as he is now. I have to find him."

"I'll help!" insisted Frisk making to get up. Papyrus followed her lead but after only a couple of steps she hit the floor as her vision swam. Beside her, Papyrus stumbled and grabbed a bed to steady himself.

"You two are in no shape to be out of bed! You are to remain here while I retrieve Sans!" Snapped Gaster summoning his magic hands which tried to lead them back into bed.

"But Sans is out there with that thing!" Papyrus tried his hardest to resist the hand, "Please, let us go with you! You're hurt too!"

"I am..." nodded Gaster, "But You would only be a hindrance. If you want Sans to return safely then you will do as you're told!"

Frisk struggled against the magic but it was too strong and she cried out in frustration, "Dad, you can't do this!"

"Sleep…" A wave of magic emanated from Gaster before Frisk's vision faded to black as a clatter of bones sounded beside her as Papyrus too lost consciousness.


	17. We're all little lost ones.

Sans winced at the shrill sirens blaring from a makeshift tower nearby. Whatever that was warning about would be wise to stay away from him he thought as he grit his teeth and pulled his hood lower to hide his broken eye.

What a mess… Even his father couldn't figure out how to fix this and he had lived in the void for years! His father…? Pah! More like warden… tormentor… enemy. His hand bones cracked as he clenched his fists and stomped forward. So quick to lock him up again, huh? Never… Never again would he be that man's prisoner!

How dare that bastard even insinuate that he, Sans would be a danger to others!? He had done nothing but try to protect his family, his friends and his world! He winced and a light appeared in his broken socket as he spun around and shattered a nearby siren with a well aimed bone, silencing the noise. Slowly he looked at his fist in unease… That had been rash, thoughtless… What if he really was losing his mind? Before he could come to grips with the almost involuntary attack a small gasp behind him had him turn to see a small tiger-like monster with their tiny paws over their snout and eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh… Sorry about that, kid. Didn't mean to scare ya." he held out his hands apologetically. The little tiger backed away and his hands dropped to his side as he looked at the dirt, "You okay? How come you're out here all by yourself…?"

"I…. I…" the tiger child whimpered then hid their face in their paws as tears cascaded down their cheeks, "I can't find my daddy!" They rushed to a bewildered Sans and clung to his hoodie, "I'm scared!"

"Shh… Hey there, it's okay! We'll find your daddy, ok? C'mere kid, just try to calm down, alright?"

"I-I d-d-don’t know where he w-went!" cried the child, "The monsters t-took him away!"

"Monsters? What monsters?" he asked looking around, what now? "Monsters took your Daddy?"

After a sniffle and several hiccups the little cub looked up at him with a pained expression, "The big goat-lions wouldn't let me look f-for him… I-I tried to go home! I wanna go home! I don't like this dream, Mr. Skeleton, please can I wake up now?! I don't wanna be a kitty anymore!"

An icy stab of dread splintered through his marrow as realization dawned on him, "Kid… What do you mean you don't wanna be a kitty anymore..?"

Their whine, muffled with the fabric of the hoodie made his soul ache with regret, "I'm not a kitty Mr. Skeleton! I'm a girl! I'm not a kitty! I wanna wake up!"

This poor kid… she was one of those human children he'd heard about! There had been word that only human children had become monsters while the adults had turned into those- "Holy shit!"

On instinct Sans grabbed the cub in his arms and teleported as a massive, fleshy fist slammed down on the ground they had just stood on. The little girl squealed in fear as a large hu-malgamate bellowed at them, it's misshapen, multiple eyes squinted in a leer. 

"I wanna go home! I wanna go home!" The little cub cried as Sans teleported out of the way of another attack to a high platform before collapsing, the cub tumbling into a canvas covered crate with a whine. "I wanna go-… Mr. Skeleton…?"

Sans lay motionless, eye lights absent. A chilly wind carried the frustrated cries of the hu-malgamate far below causing the child to flinch and scrabble over to Sans. She put her paws on his back and shook him, "Please, wake up Mr. Skeleton! Wake up!" she shook him again but he remained motionless. Whimpering she crawled to look over the edge of the platform at the savage beast below. As she watched, a tall shadow fell over her and she looked up and squeaked in fright as Gaster held a finger to his mouth to shush her.

"Do not worry, child. I will take you someplace safe." he gently put a hand on her head and she grasped at it tightly. "Come with me, you can not stay here."

"W-What about the other Mr. Skeleton?"

Gaster sighed as he turned and looked at the lifeless body of his son. "I can only hope it's not too late for him…" patting the girl on the head he went over and carefully picked Sans up in his arms then motioned to the cub to follow him down the stairs as the sounds of the Guard taking on the hu-malgamate echoed up to them. 

The little cub nodded then held a tiny paw up and patted Sans' cheek, "Don't worry, Mr. Skeleton! Your Daddy came to save us!" they smiled sweetly.

Gaster was taken aback but said nothing, just nodded. After all it wasn't an inaccurate term to use…

With a sigh he lead them back to the safe area before looking at the little girl, "Where are your parents?"


	18. A way out

"S-sans? Sans, wake up!"

Sans groaned as he opened his sockets to see a very concerned Alphys kneeling beside him.

"Huh... Alphys, what... what happened?" he sat up and clutched his throbbing skull. 

"I-I-I don't know!" she stuttered putting a paw on his back to steady him. "You j-just appeared! Oh Sane... I-I thought you were..."

He grinned weakly, "I'm not dusting yet... But, how and why am I here?" he looked around the endless darkness. The last thing he remembered was saving the little monster befor everything went black. He shook his head and sighed. So here he was again... back in a prison with no exit until somehow he managed to fade back to the others.

"Something's gotta give, Alph... I can't keep going through this. It's killing me..."

Alphys bowed her head as she rubbed his back, "I-I know Sans... B-but hey! I think I m-may have come up w-with a plan!"

"Huh?" A plan? "I'm all ears... Lay it on me."

She got up and offered her paw to him which he weakly grasped and got up after much effort. His marrow prickeled in his bones like needles as he stumbled to find his footing. 

"W-what is it?" he looked over at her.

"R-remember when Doctor G-Gaster was s-stuck in here?" Sans nodded, "W-w-well... He found a way t-to creat his own sp-space here. I'm n-not sure if it's magic or... Well, look!" She pointed to something that caught Sans by surprise.

In the distance was a light. A light? In this dark abyss of nothing...? Curious, Sans made his way closer with Alphys supporting him and his sockets widened as he saw before him a place he had only seen in nightmares and repressed memories.

"His lab?! But how?!"

Alphys shrugged as they got closer to the room, opened walled and spread out as if it were simply a mirage. This wasn't possible... how Had Gaster managed to make something in this endless nothing? He thought about it... Well, This had to be where Frisk had been 'created', right? Frisk had said Gaster had his lab although Sans had never really thought too deeply into how that could have been.

"This is unbelieveable..." Sans breathed as they reached the room. The dim lighting coming from a single lamp on the desk he remembered from his childhood cast an eerie light on the shelves where notes had been carefully organized. He slid his hand over the cool metal, unable to believe he could feel it under his bones. With a gurnt he sat in the chair and looked around as Alphys gathered something from one of the shelves and brought over a stack of papers which the spread out on the desk before him.

"I-I've been reading these. His n-notes on the void." she fidgited as he looked over them. "It t-turns out that... The void isn't a place of nothing... It's Magic. Magic made to assimilate and nullify other m-magic."

"But that still makes no sense, Alphys." Sans rubbed his skull as he scrutinized the words on the page. "Wait a minute, how could you read these?" He looked up to see her holding out a booklet.

"G-gaster made a key... in case he desiced to show them to As-Asgore" She smiled meekly, "I... I had a lot of time to study it." She cleared her throat and continued, "He u-used his own magic and somehow h-he found a w-way to reverse the p-process... That's how he m-m-made this place." she clapped her paws together, "Sans! I-if we can f-figure it out may-maybe we can m-make our own way out!"

Hesitantly, he nodded. It was a long shot but maybe there was a chance they could make an escape from this hell...

***

Muffled voices reached Frisk as she slowly opened her eyes. "Chara..?"

"I'm here, Frisk, are you feeling ok?" Chara's presence and feeling of concerned flowed through her.

"What... Oh!" She bolted upright and fought through a wave of lightheadedness to look around. On his bed not far away, Papyrus say looking towards the door at the end of the room. "Pap, what's going on? Where's Dad, w-" she looked over at the other bed and gasped, "Sans!"

Her eldest brother's skull was half missing and the remaining socket closed, she scrambled to his bedside and held out herhands as if to hold him but hesitated, afraid to harm him further.

"He's Dying..." Papyrus' tone was soft and sorrow ridden as he looked over at her, she could tell he had been weeping. "Gaster's trying to come up with a plan." He sniffled and smiled, "I'm sure he will. He's just having a little trouble..."

Frisk struggled to find the words to comroft him but the muffled voices behind the door crew cleared and she watched, waiting to see who entered.

To her surprise it was a little monster she didn't recognize followed by Toriel. The child looked around wide eyed and curious though her fluffy cheeks were tear stained. Toriel looked over and saw the two concious skeletons and smiled but there was sadness in her eyes.

"It is good to see you awake, young ones." she gently guided the little kitten to a bed and helped them up. "Your father is in the other room. I will sen him in to check on you in a moment." she pulled the covers over the little kittne who clutched at her paw. "There there, my child, you are safe here."

"Nooo," whined the child, "No, Ms. Toriel, I wanna stay with you..."

Toriel gently brushed the kittens soft head, "I know. But I must tend to my duties and little ones much rest, for now. I will return later, alright? Try to get some sleep."

"Mom, who is that?" asked Frisk.

"She is a human turned monster that your brother rescued from the wastes." she looked over and smiled, "He was very brave, Frisk."

"M-mister skeleton saved me from the big other monster" said the kitten stifiling a yawn.

"Is that why he's hurt?" asked Frisk. Her reply was a sad shrug. "Sans..."

The door opened once more and Gaster came through, his hardened expression softened for a moment when he saw his children awake but he frowned once more as he walked to Sans' bedside. After a moment of consideration he gently ran a finger bone over the cracked hole in the little skeleton's face but to frisk's dread there was no response.

"He is not there." Gaster said to Frisk. "I believe his mind is in the void once more. Although he shows no signs of futher dusting..." he pulled down Sans' sheets to inspect the rest of him, "Frisk... I apologize for earlier. But, You would have been in great danger had I not stopped you both from going."

"Forget that!" she cried, "Dad, what are we going to do to help Sans?"

he was silent for a while as he checked San's armbones and ribs for damage then he sighed a looked over at her. After a moment he spoke

"Frisk, I want you to work with me. I will need your abilities... I have come up with a plan I hope will alleviate our suffering in this new world. But I will not lie to you, there are only two results possible..."

"Dad...?"

"If my plan works Then this world will return to the way it was with no time lost... However if it fails this world will cease to exist forever."


	19. Gaster's Gamble

Frisk sat at a table beside Papyrus and across from Asgore, Toriel and Undyne who was holding a sleeping little Aydin in her arms. Gaster sat near them as they all took a moment to consider what he had proposed.

"I see. So you are thinking that Frisk's ability to alter time could... Merge this timeline with another one?" Asgore directed the question at Gaster who nodded solemnly.

"Correct. I plan to use the void to allow the events in this timeline and one of less consequence to mingle and with luck, fuse. It may cause some confusion among both monsters and humans if they are revived but... I believe it is a better alternative than continuing this timeline we are in now."

"These 'timelines' " Toriel eyed Gaster, "How long have they been happening?"

Frisk shuffled nervously in her seat as Chara tried to send her comfort through their link. She knew what was coming... Her mom was finally going to find out about the skeletons in her closet.

It was heart wrenching as Gaster calmly explained Frisk's past and involvement in the multiple timelines... Her horrible crimes. Her heart ached as she saw horror seep onto the goat monster's faces at they glanced at her as if seeing her for the first time. She felt tears prick her sockets. Would they hate her now?"

"Well... That is indeed quite the story." Toriel said quietly when the explination had ended. She studied Frisk with an unreadable expression.

"Mom... I..." Frisk couldn't say more. There was no excuse... even if she couldn't remember.

After a moment of painful silence Papyrus spoke.

"But Frisk is different now! She changed!" he looked over at his father. "Gaster helped her find the right path... She's not a murderer... She's... She's..."

"Don't." Frisk interrupted, voice heavy with guilt and sorrow. "I... I don't remember those timelines. But I did, I am a murderer." she sniffled and looked at her family who were watching, waiting, "I can't take it back though it never happened in this timeline... I'm so sorry..."

Gaster reached across the table and put a boney hand on hers.

"It is a non issue. Your chance to redeem yourself is upon you." he looked over at the king and queen, "Frisk is a remarkable young woman. Your daughter's soul resides in her and I daresay you trust in that, that she has indeed changed. Am I wrong?"

"Chara..." Asgore murmerred the name as he gazed upon Frisk with tears in his eyes. "Frisk... What you have done. It is a heinous crime... But We will not disallow you to seek atonement for your actions."

Toriel nodded, "My... My child.. You are not excused for your conduct.. But we forgave our son for his discretions... and I forgive you for yours. You are monsterkind but no monster. At least not anymore. Gaster," she addressed the old scientist, "I will permit this plan to proceed."

"You understand that this could result in our world as a whole becoming nothing more than the void?"

"I do." she bowed her head, "I would like to have a chance to see our people in a better place. This is no world for young ones to grow or for our kind to florish."

"What about my son!?" Undyne interjected, startling the toddler in her arms awake with a sleepy groan. "If this timeline whozawhatit works out what will happen to him?"

"I want to know that too." added Frisk, "What about Asriel? Would he... Would he be Flowey again? And what about Chara?"

Gaster considered their questions, "I can not say. I will not lie to you... If the timeline merge sucessfully there may be... lapses in memory for some monsters. As for the fate of the children, they could very well continue to exist in their current states. However, ther is a chance that they could revert and none of us will have memory of their change."

"You mean my baby could dissappear and I wouldn't even know him!?" shouted Undyne, "Well, screw that!" She stood up, clutching her son to her as if he would vanish right then and there much to the little boy's protesting grumble.

"Undyne, calm yourself." Gaster addressed her in a low tone but one of sympathy. "Do you really wish for Aydin to grow up in a world like this?" He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to protest, "It is quite possible he will still exist as he is now. Alphys will also have a chance of being free from the void. Do you not wish for the boy to have his other mother present for his upbringing?"

"Of course I do, asshole!" she snapped. She seemed to struggle with herself as she held her child close and looked down at him with painful fear in her eye. "I don't want to lose my baby..."

***

"I gotta tell you, Alph, I code-not make heads or tails of this even if it did make sense." Sans said weakly as he continued to pour over the noted with Alphys by his side. "It looks like he was working on a way to... No. That would bee too dangerous."

"W-what is it?" she stammered looking over at the notes.

"He's been studying the fabric of reality itself. This is big stuff, way beyond anything anyone's tried before with magic." he swept aside the notes in anger and held his broken face in his hands. "He wants to use Frisk to do a reset... but one that draws in the void and crashed timelines together."

"W-w-what!?" she squeaked as she scrambled to pick up the fallen noted form the floor and frantically read over what she could, "T-that sounds r-really bad!"

"It is bad," came his muffled reply, "It's a gamble. One that could end up erasing our reality entirely, hell, it could even rip frisk from existance altogether!"

Alphys' hands trembled as she clutched at the notes and looked at him, fear behind her cracked glasses. "W-w-what can w-we do?"

Sans growled in frustration and stood up to pace. This was bad! Gaster wouldn't do somethign so risky would he!? ... oh hell yeah he would. He didn't care about the risk... Yeah... he sighed and his pacing slowed. Gaster cared about Frisk just a much as he did. But, Maybe this was the only option left?

"We have to find a way out of here, Alphys, and fast."


	20. Redemption

Gaster and Frisk sat alone in a room facing eachother, both contemplating the soon to be attempt at righting this very wrong world.

"I'm not sure about this, Frisk..." Chara's concern rippled through her marrow and she nodded.

"Is Chara voicing her opinion on the matter?" Gaster asked as he eyed her, curious.

"Yeah..." She was silent for a moment, "Dad... Be honest with me, how much of a chance do we have of this working?"

He considered the question for a moment and bowed his head. "I.. would estimate an eighty percent chance of sucess."

Neither Frisk nor Chara liked those odds. But, what other option was there for the good of everyone they cared about?

"So how do we start this? Your machine broke..."

"We have to trigger your powers under the proper circumstances while I use my magic to guide the resulting load and try to direct it through the void..." he paused a moment and studied her expression. "It will be very risky. But, with any luck I will be able to locate a timeline where events played out differently and be able to align the energies of that timeline and out own and create a point in which to merge them."

"...What could happen if this goes wrong, Dad?"

He was silent. It seemed an eternity before he spoke,

"The timelines could combine in a way that would throw both into chaos and cause a mutual destruction of both. Or our timeline could cese to be altogether..."

Frisk swallowed nervously, "W-what else?"

"... There is also a possibility that the merge will be sucessful but... You would not survive. It would be as if you never existed at all." 

his voice was hoarse with what she could only determine as fear of such an outcome. He looked down at his crosed fingers and continued, "You do not have to do this, Frisk."

"I want to." Determination flared in her bones. She wanted to see her family happy and safe. Even if it meant risking her life, she would try.

"I... I'm not sure about this." Chara repeated, "But.. Frisk, I trust you."

She nodded and glanced brefly outside the window at the rising sun outside. This sun would shine on the right world if they pulled this off.

"How do we start this?"

Gaster stood up and cupped her cheekbones in his trembling hands as he locked eyes with her.

"I have to kill you, Frisk."

The words hung in the air as if they had become tangable. Frisk's marrow froze and she looked at him in disbelief.

"Dad...? W-what did you just say?"

"This load has to be a powerful one. The only way to trigger it is if your very life depended on it..." 

he looked at her with great sorrow in his eyes as she pulled away and retreated a few steps.

"K-kill me...?"

Chara's fear mingled with hers as they both considered backing out of this plan.

"He's killed you before..." Chara reminded her. "But... Frisk, I'm scared."

Frisk's brain tried to grasp just what this situation truly was. Die? No! What in the hell was he thinking? Had he gone insane!?

"Frisk, please do not act rashly. I do not want to do this... But we have no other choice."

***

"C'mon... C'MON!" Sans slammed his hands down on the desk causing Alphys to squeak in surprise nearby. But there was nothing... Nothing!

He couldn't let this happen. No, he WOULD NOT let Gaster do this.

"S-sans... We d-don't actually know i-if Gaster would try so-something like this..." Alphys put a soft hand on his sleeve.

"Something feels off, Alphys." he huffed in anger as he glared down at the notes. "I'm part of him, I know him... I know he will try this. Maybe not now but maybe he's trying it right now! We have to get out of here!"

Alphys rubbed his arm but backed up and bowed her head when he pulled away.

"S-sans... No."

He looked over at her quizzically, "What?"

"N-n-no... We should wait." 

she considered her words before continuing.

"If... I-if Gaster and Frisk c-can make this w-work... then everything w-will be fine."

"Alphys, what are you saying?! We have to stop him!"

"No! Sans... you're f-falling apart in that world... if we try to get out then you m-might not make it... I-I d-don't want to risk that."

"Alphys..." he sighed and held his face in his hands. "...I hope you know what you're doing... Dad."

***

Gaster held Frisk as she trembled and sobbed into his shirt. He had managed to calm her but only slightly.

"I-I'm scared." she wept. "I-I know... I know we should try but I... I don't want to die!"

"Noone wants to die Frisk... But this is your chance to right the wrongs." he gently stroked the small skull of his young daughter. Although Chara's fusion with her had aged her she was still so much smaller then himself... So fragile. So afraid.

"Frisk... I have done thing that put me in no position to preach redemption... but perhaps take this as your atonement for your past... If this suceeds then you will have made up for your past. You can move on knowing that the good you will have done will have far outweighed your sins."

He was right. She was obligated to try. To try for Redemption and let go of the horrible things she had done. Shaking with anxiety she wiped away her tears and looked up at him. "O-okay... Let's do this."

Gaster hugged her tightly, "I love you, Frisk." he whispered.

Frisk felt his hand slide under her shirt before bony fingers grasped her soul and with a burst of magic she felt her entire being shatter.


	21. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _______________
> 
> After two and a half years I have completed the Redemption series...  
> This was the longest I've ever stuck with something and the only thing i can ever remember pouring so much energy and love into.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the ride! Please let me know what you think of this story.

The crisp, cool air ruffled the white fur of his hoodie as Sans stood in the driveway looking down Mt. Ebott at the city below. The sun felt nice on his face as he took in the view.

"Brother, you're going to make me late! Please move." 

Papyrus has pulled up in his car to where Sans was stading. A flustered expression was on his face.

"Oh, sorry paps. Ice cold-in see ya there." he grinned wider as his slippers crunched in the snow as he moved aside.

"Oh. My. God!" Papyrus scowled at him, hiding a smile as he drove off towards the city.

Sans chuckled to himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and started making his way down the snowy driveway. Today was a beautiful day. Birds sang abive, twittering their songs to the fresh morning air. The cloth and plastic flowers that Papyrus had 'planted' were vivid in their perpetual blooms. He sighed happily. Life was good.

After a little ways he suddenly vanished into a portal and promptly reappeared in the city below in front of Grillby's. A few humans and monsters past, waving politely as they hurried on their morning commute. It had been a year since monsters had returned to the surface. Thankfully negotiations with humans had panned out. There had been fear that they would not accept monsters into their lives but they turned out be unfounded as the humans kindly worked with them to form community counsals, job programs, even let Queen Toriel open a school for both monsters and humans!

"Sup, nerd!?" A gruff voice called from a police cruiser as it pulled up to the sidewalk.

"Oh, hey, Undyne." he waved to her, "How's it going? Hook any bad guys lately?"

"Yeah, sure did... But enough about that! Dude, it happened!"

Sans' soul fluttered at her words. "Oh yeah? Omlette Paps know!"

"That... was horrible." she scrunched her nose ridge at the pun. "But yeah! You guys should come over sometime and see it! Alphys is so cute. She keeps going on and on about making a nest for it."

Sans nodded, "Well, I'm sure it's in egg-cellant care. Congrats, Undyne."

"Ahh you're hopeless. Later Nerd!" she grinned toothily as she drove off leaving him chuckling to himself. An egg, huh? Good for them.

He entered the bar and Resturant and was greeted with a chrous of hellos which he returned in kind before plopping down at the bar where the tending fire elemental handed him a bottle of ketchup.

"Thanks Grillbz." he nodded to him before opening the bottle and taking a swig. "Oh, new flavor?" he looked at the bottles tropical art. "Import? Business is good, huh?" when Grillby nodded he chuckled, "The other places better step up their game if they wanna ketchup with you."

"I may open another location." Said Grillby in his soft, deep whispering voice. "If I can find suitable employees."

"Nice! Tibia honest I'm surprised you havn't already. This place is pretty packed."

he looked around at the humans and monsters enjoying their food and bantering about this and that. He sipped his ketchup and closed his eyes, letting the drone serve as a soothing background static for a moment before he looked back to his firery friend.

"Mind fixing me some burgers to go?"

***

A little while later he slowly made his way down the road before stopping before a small building on the corner and entering the sliding doors of the small Doctors office. He knocked on the door in the back of the waiting room and entered, setting the bag of food on the wooden desk.

"Brought you some food."

Gaster looked up and smiled.

"I appreciate it, Sans. I hate to admit but My work has prevented me from seeking food for some time today."

"Should I sign you up for Workaholics Anonymous?" Sans replied with a wink which caused his father to chuckle as he retrieved the food from the bad with a nod of thanks.

"It's a new patient." Gaster said between bites, "His condition is very interesting. I have not seen anything like it before... A yound male human with some sort of magical disorder. Very unexpected."

"Huh." Sans shrugged, "Well you'll figure it out."

Gaster nodded and gazed out the window at the bustling city.

"Humans are very unique creatures. It is a very... Fun field of medicine rather than sticking to strictly monsters."

"I though fun was practicallt a curse word to you." Sans chuckled. "Anyway, I hate to bounce but I've got some other stuff to do before I head home. You off late tonight?"

The other skeleton shrugged as he continued to eat. Sans nodded, knowing his father he probably wouldn't make it to dinner tonight. Oh well, some old, same old.

"Later, Dad."

With a flash he dissappeared through a portal leaving Gaster to his meal.

Later that day the sky has clouded and a light snow fell as he kicked the snow from his slippers before heading through the door and flopping on the couch. Lazily he flipped through the channels before stopping on the community announcement channel and grinnind wide at the notice for the wedding. Good for them.

His socket drooped as he he listend to a rerun of Mettatons talk show and soon sleep was on him. The sound of the door closing caused him to stir and stretch with a yawn. A small skeleton entered, casting off her backpack and setting a binder on the table before looking over at him and smiling.

"Have a sch-cool day, kiddo?" he chuckled as Frisk giggled and joined him on the couch. "Sounds like it. Paps should be home soon with grub so how about we watch some tv? I hear Mettaton's interviewing Tori and Asriel this next episode in about a flower or so."

"Sure." she replies with a smile and leaned against him as he wraped his arm over her small shoulder. She giddled to herself and snuggled against him.

"I love you, Dad."


End file.
